For the Love of Batman
by MishaAteMyBlog
Summary: Dean Winchester fell into acting. Now he stars as Batman in HBO's hit show Batman 2.0. This is the first year that the show is putting on conventions for the highly popular show. Dean loves attending BatCon, because he loves his fans. When the convention comes to Burbank, life takes a turn, he is assigned Castiel as his handler. Rated M for later chapters cowritten by @SWLFangirl
1. Holy Fandom Batman!

Dean Winchester has learned many life lessons in his 29 years. One of the biggest being that when bad things happen to him, it's usually his own fault. He has issues with impulse control and a really bad habit of freaking the fuck out. The prime example of this, would be his sophomore year of college. Dean had been dating Chuck for almost three years, he cared about him but never really saw them as a forever thing. He was apparently the only one of the two who didn't. They were walking to a party when Chuck took his hand, kissed it lovingly, and asked Dean to move in with him. He was shocked, but what amazed him even further was when he heard the words "sure, why not" spew from his own mouth. If he had been an adult about it, he would have talked to his boyfriend and explained the situation. Maybe even ended it, but he wasn't mature enough for that. Instead what he did was really shitty, he knew that then, and he knows it now.

After more than enough shots at the very same party, Dean walked up to Becky Rosen and kissed her. It wasn't a chaste kiss either, he was full on making out with her in the middle of the room. Of course he was caught and broken up with immediately. To Dean's surprise, he was punched in the dick. Damn, he could hit hard for a scrawny dude. It wasn't the best way he could have dealt with things, but it worked out pretty well. Chuck and Becky are actually married now with three kids and he gets a Christmas card from them every year, signed "With Love, You're still an asshole.'

Another important thing he'd figured out, was that when good things happen to him, it was usually because he kept his mind and heart open. A couple of years after he graduated college, his neighbor, came running into his apartment screaming. He can still remember the look of excitement on his dorky friend's face. It was constantly something with Garth, almost always it wasn't anything that interested Dean, but the guy was like a newborn puppy. Thankfully he could never turn down that adorable face, despite some of the more crazy things that left his mouth. He could appreciate it much more now than he did even then, after all that is how he became Batman.

"I can't believe it! Can you believe it Dean?"

"Well Garth, since I have no idea what you are talking about, I'm gonna go with no."

"HBO is going to be doing a remake of the old Batman series and they are holding open auditions for the roles of Batman and Robin. They want unknown actors. Oh my God, I can't believe it. It has only been a dream my whole life to play Robin. I mean, sure I would love to be Batman, but look at me. I was made to be a sidekick. Robin is the ultimate!"

"That's great! I think you'd make an awesome Robin. When are you auditioning?"

"We are auditioning this Saturday."

"What do you mean we? I'm not an actor."

"Come on Dean, please go audition with me. If you audition for Batman it will make me less nervous when I audition. Please. Please. Please."

"Alright man, don't get your panties in a twist. I'll go, but don't expect me to get the part."

"Thanks Dean. Your generosity will be rewarded."

"Yea, whatever dude, now go away. I'm tryin' to watch Dr Sexy."

Dean was stunned when not only did Garth get the part of Robin, but he actually got the role of Batman. He'd accidentally become an actor, thoughts swirled in his mind on how it could have possibly happened, and he'd honestly drawn a complete blank. When he told the casting director, and the executives that he was an openly bisexual man and had no interest in going back into the closet, they shrugged their shoulders and advised him not to date his coworkers. This may have been the most astonishing thing of the entire day. He'd been in Los Angeles long enough to know there were more than just a couple gay, lesbian, and bi people in the industry. He also knew, however, that only a small fraction of those were out.

He took their advice to heart. Not only did he not date his coworkers, he didn't date within the industry, usually. He did make an exception with none other than Dr Sexy himself. It's funny how two years later, Dean still calls him that in his head. The very mention of his real name makes his skin crawl. After years of crushing on the actor, how could he turn down the object of his many fantasies? It was just after Batman 2.0 premiered. They were both guests on The Tonight Show, Dean was so nervous about meeting the other man, he threw up minutes before walking on stage. It was not a surprise when his sexuality became the main topic of discussion. It was cool though, anything to keep from looking over at Dr Sexy sitting on the couch next to him.

After the taping, there was a knock on Dean's dressing room door. He opened it, and the older actor lunged forward and kissed him as if their lives depended on it. They ended up dating for a year. The first six months were great, except that they had to keep their relationship a secret. Relationships are hard when only one person is open about who they are. The last six months were closer to hell. They had moved in together and Dean realized that he was involved with a self-absorbed asshole. The guy was derogatory and screamed constantly, it was degrading and incredibly stressful but he stayed, thinking things were bound to get good again.

It all came to a head one night when Sammy came over while they were fighting. Sam had stepped between the two men in order to protect his older brother, just to be pushed to the ground. A fire lit in Dean's veins and he was more angry than he thought he could ever be, his body automatically going into rage mode. It was one thing to be pushed around or yelled at himself, but for the massive douchebag to lay a hand on his little brother was too far.

"Oh hell no" the words spewed from his mouth as he punched his now, ex-boyfriend.

Sam pulled him out the front door before he could throw any more punches. That was the last time he saw the former idol, and it had been a struggle not to track him down and kick his ass every time the thought of it resurfaced. He still wasn't sure which was worse, finding out his favorite celebrity crush was an asshole, or never being able to watch his favorite show again. If he were being honest, there were still the occasional Dr Sexy fantasies, except now, the good doctor was usually getting his ass kicked, or flattened by a steamroller rather than anything remotely sexy.

"Dammit, man get ahold of yourself."' he thought as he shook his head. This was not the time to think about the past. The fans had paid too much for BatCon tickets for him to be anything except happy and charming. Just then, the door opened and Garth came rushing in, Dean never understood why but he was always in a hurry, the guy had no slow down button on him. In all the commotion caused by the gangly dork that was his best friend (outside of Sammy of course) he hadn't noticed that there were two men following in behind him.

"Hey Dean. I want you to meet my handler, Aaron" he paused to point to the one standing closest to him.

"And this is yours, his name is Castiel." It was then that Dean really looked at both men. For a minute, he thought about asking to switch. He had no idea how he would be able to concentrate on the convention events with such a beautiful man following him around. Castiel had dark brown hair, it was almost black. His skin was lightly tanned, which made his eyes really pop. If Dean were one to frequent the fan-fiction sites, he would say that they reminded him of cerulean waves crashing against the ocean shore. It was a good thing he didn't, well at least as far as anyone else knew. If he did any elective reading, that was between him and his IPad.

Scanning down further, Dean was even more impressed. Castiel was obviously in shape, his shirt was a bold choice, it was tightly wrapped around his muscled torso. On the front, there was a ship with the bat symbol on the side, but what made Dean chuckle was B.W. + D.G. within the famous logo. In larger print across the bottom of the tee were the words "I ship it." When he looked back up at Castiel's face, the man was blushing and he seemed fairly embarrassed.

"I...uh…didn't plan my clothing choice very well. Sorry. I can run and buy another from the vendor's room if you prefer."

"Nah, Cas. It's cool. No-ship shaming here, even if I don't understand it." his face shone brightly with the first genuine smile he'd been able to muster since his morning coffee.

"Thanks Mr. Winchester."

"Nah man, none of that it's just Dean."

"Okay, Just Dean. Would you like to go over the schedule for the day?" He said with a bright smirk.


	2. Holy Cheeseburger Batman!

Castiel seemed overly competent compared to some of the handlers he'd been given at the previous conventions. Not that there was anything wrong with the other guys and girls, but it just felt like they were fumbling more than he was. Of course that was when he realized that he'd never taken into account that they might have been starstruck.

Sometimes he forgot he was a celebrity, Dean still felt like he was a normal guy. Someone who liked a good burger from the local diner. A guy who would rather spend the night watching old movies on his couch, than to hit a club or make an appearance somewhere. Some functions were mandatory, and he tried to make it to as many of the charity events as he could, but sometimes a guy just needed a break.

"Sure, I pretty much have it memorized. First, we have lunch with the VIPs or whatever, then we have photo ops, autographs, the panel, and then the pre screening of next month's season premiere. Is that right?" He rubbed the back of his neck trying to ease the tension and nervousness he was feeling, he was always a little on edge until everything started..

"Wow, yeah. You aren't expected to go to the screening though. Obviously you can if you want to, but it's not mandatory." Castiel seemed surprised, if not impressed, that he'd not only read the schedule, but also learned it. He wasn't sure if he should be happy or insulted, he had to admit there was a little more of the latter flowing through his mind. He'd never considered himself a genius by any means, but he did have lines he had to remember for a show. It would stand to reason if nothing else his quick recall skills were functioning properly.

He barely managed to finish his breakfast before being politely tapped on the shoulder and reminded that they should leave now if they wanted to be on time for the "lunch" that was more of a brunch. He didn't mind that, but the fact that he wasn't supposed to actually eat anything threw him for a loop the first time it happened. The fans walked away with an incredibly funny story that day, and quite a few pictures of his handler literally pulling food away from him.

Most of the questions were typical, although he always felt just a little like a zoo animal when he was on stage in front of people. Garth was right at home, he ate up the attention like catnip, which relieved some of the pressure that was sitting heavily on Dean's shoulders. When one fan asked about the famous "Brick" ship, it was all he could do to not laugh.

"Well I think that there's a significant bond between the two men for obvious reasons, but the writers and executives are the people who have to decide exactly what that is or how it develops. What I do know, is that this guy here… well he's far too pretty for me, and sadly very, very, straight." Dean said with a wink and a pat on his costar's back, to which the other man just beamed and shook his head.

"Well I am a pretty handsome fella, but you're a close second." He said with a wink of his own, everyone seemed to go wild at that and Dean just laughed harder. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Castiel smiling and immediately felt a warm tingling feeling at the thought that he might have been the one to cause it.

The rest of the time flew by, but he could never get enough of his fans, so it always seemed to go faster than it should. He felt they were kindred spirits in a lot of ways, he'd always been a huge Batman fan, and given the chance to spend some time talking to Adam West he'd react the same way. Castiel led him away from the conference room and into a long hallway, silence fell between them, their steps mimicking one another until they reached the new location.

He took his seat to the side until they were finished lining everyone up and slowly they filtered them in and out as quickly as possible. He tried to get their name as well as introduce himself properly to each and every fan, but sometimes it was difficult with such a limited time frame. Some were adorably speechless, a few brazen enough to get a little handsy which he usually laughed off, but mostly they were just really down to earth. There had been a few people that had asked for some hilarious photo poses, and honestly there were a couple of the pictures he'd like to have himself, He thought maybe Sammy could make a scrapbook or something with them, the kid was practically a woman at this point anyway, what's one more dose of estrogen.

Dean's smile was a little exhausted by the time it was all over, he really did love that part of the conventions though. It felt like he got more one on one time with people and he absolutely adored the kids. Watching Garth interact with them was the most appealing part of it though, One of the many reasons his face was so sore was because the guy carried around a sock puppet he named Mr. Fizzles.

He was once again ushered away into another room where they had a table and chairs set up, which to be honest was a relief. He was as fit as the next person but being on your feet constantly wasn't pleasurable for anyone and he hadn't sat down for more than 5 minutes since he'd started. He saw some familiar faces as the crowd lined up and despite the fact that his cheeks were aching, he found himself smiling at the memories they'd already created. He tried to remember at least some of their names so they felt a sense of importance, they deserved it after all if not for them he wouldn't have a job. He may have fell haphazardly into acting but it was a joy to go to work every single day, so for that he had to be thankful.

When the panel began he reminded himself just how lucky he was to have Garth in his life and as his tv show sidekick. The guy was phenomenal with the fans and had the show practically memorized, he'd watched the episodes over and over again as if it were a test he was studying for, and from the questions they usually got...it kinda was. Dean had seen all the episodes once, and caught a few for the second time while his neighbor was marathoning, but mostly he felt douchey whenever he'd watch himself on screen. That didn't mean he wasn't proud of the show and all the work they'd done. He was, especially the crew who seemed to work tirelessly in an effort to get everything finished on time.

They goofed off, answered some pretty insightful questions, and finally they were ready to leave. He was dying for some food and they had an hour or two to kill before the screening, and somewhere someone had a damn burger that was taunting him. The smell of bacon and fried beef assaulting his nose, leaving a bittersweet gnawing in his stomach. He walked off the stage and back into the corner room where Castiel was waiting for him. He smiled as soon as he saw the guy scarfing down a said burger like it was his last damn meal, and he didn't even feel a bit bad about giving a soft cough causing the guy to blush furiously. It was fucking adorable and he couldn't bring himself to regret it.

"Dude if you know where there are any more of those, I would greatly appreciate you pointing me in that direction."

"I'm so sorry Dean, of course..I'll take you myself." Cas still looked a little embarrassed but it seemed to ease slightly when he patted him on the back and told him not to worry about it. They walked out of the hotel and it was only a couple blocks before he saw the diner sign and his mouth immediately began to water. Less than twenty minutes later he was diving into what had to be one of the most delicious bacon cheeseburgers he'd ever had. He moaned around the juicy bite, the enjoyable taste causing his eyes to flutter shut in delight.

"Oh my God I could kiss you!" He said without a hint of embarrassment.

"Sorry to burst your bubble but I'm afraid I've already been spoken for."

"Figures, they say all the good ones are taken." He said with a smile and a slight chuckle.

Okay so maybe he was a little disappointed but the guy was gorgeous, smart, and he seemed incredibly friendly. Who wouldn't be a little down that someone like that was off the market. They got lost in conversation, Dean had a penchant for not being able to shut up when he talked about his baby brother and Castiel seemed to do the same when talking about his beloved mom. Pretty soon they were running back to the hotel to make it to the screening on time. They got there just about 3 minutes before it started and he wanted to surprise the fans. So he jumped on the stage real quick, said hello and that he hoped they enjoyed it along with him.

When the lights went down he pulled Cas to the stage and turned the cushy chairs around to face the screen. It was pretty amazing to get to watch it with the fans, he really liked when he heard them reacting to what was on the screen, Castiel included. The man gasped at the perfect time, and he laughed at all the same parts, his laugh was pretty addictive. Dean managed to sneak a glance over and the blue eyes were widened to the ends and his mouth open in awe, and that was the first moment the actor realized how significant the impact he made on the audience truly was.

When it was over he took a bow and spent another ten or fifteen minutes talking about what he liked about that particular episode and then he wished them all well before turning around to find Castiel nearly passed out in the chair behind him. He chuckled as he returned the gesture of the polite tap against his shoulder.

"Cas buddy I'm done talkin' now, you can stop pretending to be bored." He joked as he jostled the half lucid man out of his relaxing state.

"I'm up now.. I swear.. I'm so sorry Dean, it's just been such a long day and I was dreading the thirty minute drive home and the next thing I knew you were waking me up."

"Look Cas, I don't wanna be weird or whatever and I'm fully able to accept the fact that you're not available. But I wanted to let you know that I do have an extra bed in my room, my brother was supposed to come with me so we could hang out and drink a bit, but he couldn't make it. I'll keep my hands to myself promise, I would just hate to put you out on the road like this. I don't think it's safe."

Castiel looked at him, like really looked at him as if he were searching for something. Whatever it was he must have found it because his head was moving up and down in acceptance and he whispered a polite thank you before following Dean toward the elevator. When they got to the room he grabbed some sweats from his bag and offered Cas a pair of pajama pants. He quickly slipped into the bathroom to change, and he wanted to give the guy some space to do the same. Less than 15 minutes after entering the room they were both passed out asleep.

The next morning he was confronted by the annoying sound of his ringtone that he couldn't figure out how to change. It was his manager and he insisted on Dean's presence at an interview with MTV and Rolling Stone magazine. Was it too much to ask, that the guy give a little more notice? Like, maybe even put it in his schedule? It was good that Sam didn't come with him, after all. They would probably still be drunk, or at least completely hung over. He turned toward the bed to his left and sure enough, Cas was still sound asleep. He couldn't help but stare and think about how precious the man looked snuggling his pillow as if it were a teddy bear. He looked so peaceful and adorable, that Dean couldn't bring himself to wake him up, so he left a note.

Dear Cas,

Sorry I had to go, but duty calls. It's only been about five hours since we knocked out, so I didn't have the heart to wake you. I also took your phone and added my phone number, I hope you don't mind. You will find it under 'Just Dean'. You really made yesterday fun, and I like to think that we became friends in the process. I hope it doesn't make anyone jealous, or that it doesn't bother you. I promise it's strictly a platonic gesture. I didn't get your number, so if you want to talk or hang out sometime you can just text me. If not, well, then don't I guess. You have the room until 2pm, but if you need longer, just call the front desk and they will take care of it for you.

Batman


	3. Holy Johnlock Batman!

Three hours later, both interviews were finally over. He hated them usually, they were often difficult due to the lack of a filter between his brain and mouth. Most of the time they were small stupid mistakes, but occasionally he'd even let a curse word rip and those were the times it bothered him most. He strived hard to be the kind of Batman kids could look up to, like he'd done to the ones before him. So he did his absolute best to keep his potty mouth out of the equation.

People magazine seemed to be oblivious because the next month they just put out an article talking about how "totally adorkable" he was. What the heck was that even supposed to mean? What kind of professional magazine used made up words? Although sometimes he still blushed when he thought about that particular interview. One of the questions being...who he'd really like to work with. Without hesitation he responded, Benedict Cumberbatch. Not bad on the surface but when they asked him for the reason, he just jerked his head back and scoffed before saying "Because he's hot."

He tried to do a small amount of back pedalling but it clearly didn't work. He still thinks it was far too coincidental that he met the handsome actor the following week, right in front of the People Magazine rep on the red carpet at the Emmy's. Benedict was awesome and actually thanked him for the compliment saying he was beyond flattered, which made Dean's heart speed up just a little and the cheesy grin he faked to turn into a genuine smile. That moment, of course, was the perfect opportunity for Martin Freeman to come by laughing and tell him to get his own man. He wanted the world to swallow him whole, he did his best to not let his face turn into a ripened tomato for all the press photos but it was certainly a difficult task. According to Sammy and Charlie, that YouTube video was still being spread all over Tumblr, whatever that was.

The interviews he'd finished this morning were even harder. The two were so similar, he could have done them both at the same time, and redundancy is not your friend when you've not had enough sleep. Even the room they chose to do them in lacked any sort of vibrant color or anything to focus on to keep himself awake. He tried not to think about the gorgeous guy that was laying so peacefully in the bed next to his when he left, he did everything he could to fight against it but it was the only thing that kept him alert enough to not fall asleep in the damn beige chair. Luckily he was stayed hypervigilant about what actually left his mouth and it was just a small mention, saying that he'd had an amazing con experience and it was mostly due to the fans and his incredibly helpful handler, Cas.

* * *

><p>The discussion with MTV had just ended when he received a text. Thanks to Charlie, the message tone was Zachary Quinto from Star Trek yelling "Kaaaaaaaahn!" He loved it, it always scared the shit out those around him. Today was no exception. People flinched and stepped back in every direction, it was great. He slid the displayed bar and saw that it was from an unknown number, he really hoped it was Cas.<p>

From Unknown: Thanks for not waking me up, I slept better last night than I have had in a long time. I was happy to see your note this morning and I would be happy to call you my friend.

From Unknown: This is Cas by the way.

From Cas by the way: Of course you probably figured that out. I do believe I am the only person with you this morning.

To Cas by the way: Yeah, I figured out pretty quickly that it was you lol. Hey, Are you free for lunch?

From Cas by the way: Actually I have to go by Charm City Cakes between 3 and 5 pm and pick up a cake, but I have some time before that. How about Lucifer's Pizza on Melrose at noon?

To Cas by the way: Sounds great! Noon is perfect, I didn't have time for breakfast this morning. I'll see you there.

From Cas by the way: Okay Dean, See you soon.

'Damn, why couldn't he be single?' Dean thought to himself. He quickly edited the contact information before he sent a reply. The smile that crept up his face was involuntary but when Cas agreed to meet him for lunch, there was little that could have stopped it. That thought alone was enough to have him on the phone, dialing his little brother.

"I am so screwed!" he thinks to himself as it the loud ring buzzes against his ear.

"Sammy, I've found the one!"

"Hello to you too Dean, I'm good thanks for asking. How are you?"

"Hey Sammy, sorry I just got a bit carried away… seriously though I think he's the one. The only problem is, he isn't exactly single and I don't know what to do man… I like him a lot and he's gorgeous, and his eyes are the perfect shade of blue. Like I can't stop staring at them. Tell me what to do, I'm supposed to meet him for lunch and I'm a nervous wreck. I mean I'd rather be his friend than nothing at all, but what if I blurt out something stupid like how perfect his ass is, which it is by the way.. PERFECT! What if I just talk non stop unable to shut up like I am right now. Oh God. Please say something so I can shut up."

"I am assuming you met him at the convention, like… yesterday right, since this is the first time you have mentioned him? So just chill out man, You don't even really know this guy. If a random hot guy can get you this crazy, maybe it's time you start looking into changing your "single" status because it's been quite a while. Just go have lunch, a decent conversation and get to know him. Heck maybe he's a complete weirdo who hates pie."

"Wow Sammy, that actually made me feel a little better. All that Oprah you've been watching is paying off."

"Bite me Jerk."

"Not that hungry, Bitch."

* * *

><p>Dean walked up to the restaurant about five minutes late, normally he wouldn't be too freaked out about it but it felt different this time, like it was more significant somehow. The actor was about to panic, until he saw a spiky black sex hair and a cocky smile on the face coming closer from the bus stop a few feet away. It was obvious that he'd put more of an effort into his appearance even though it wasn't exactly lacking anything previously, just seemed like he was dressed for something fancier than pizza with a friend.<p>

Cas looked even more gorgeous than he remembered wearing a buttoned dress shirt that was folded up to his elbows, and following that line Dean tried not to notice the bulging biceps underneath the constraining material. The pale blue shirt made his darker eyes stand out even greater, and from the looks of it he was also wearing skinny jeans.. damn he was in trouble. Dean swallowed hard and did his best to remind himself that Castiel was just a friend, and it absolutely was not a date.

"Hey man it's good to know I wasn't the only one running late. Did you have car trouble, you didn't have to take the bus, I could have picked you up, or somethin if you wanted."

"Hello Dean. Thank you for your concern, but Naomi is fine. "

"Naomi?"

"Oh yes, sorry. Naomi is my Prius. I named her after my mother, because she was the culprit who talked me into buying the Hybrid. Actually I didn't take the bus, but let's go in and If you wanna know I'll tell you about it, even though it really isn't a very interesting story."

They stepped in through the heavy black door and the overwhelming aroma of delicious food caused his eyes to close immediately in appreciation. They ordered a Large Meat Lover's Pizza, Wings, and a couple cold bottles of beer. Dean reached out instinctively and put his hand on Cas' lower back but retracted it barely before making contact. They made their way through the fairly crowded dining area before they found an available table along the back wall. They sat there smiling at one another for a couple minutes before he broke the crazy awesome eye contact.

"Okay Cas. Inquiring minds wanna know… How did you end up at the bus stop if you didn't take the bus?" Dean's hands nervously collected under the table thankfully out of the other man's view.

Cas laughed. "Ok, You can't say I didn't warn you. It's really very stupid..I just helped a lady from my apartment building carry her bags to the bus stop."

"Aww man that's not stupid.. it's really nice of you. You went out of your way to help someone in need.. that's .. hell that's more than most people would do. So you said.. you had a cake appointment or something later?"

"Yes, after lunch. Today is the birthday of Harry's best friend, Ed. Harry is my boyfriend, by the way. Not sure if I mentioned his name before. I know it is unusual to have a birthday party on Sunday night, but Harry and Ed both work Tuesday through Saturday. Anyway, that is also why I suggested meeting here. It is close to the bakery and my apartment."

"It's cool man. Hey, speaking of your boyfriend, what exactly does he think about you going to lunch with a famous actor?"

"You might be famous, but consider this a no ass kissing zone. My Harry has a fan following as well, and I don't feed his ego either." The words could have been taken as harsh, if it weren't for the smile plastered across the man's face.

"Hmm...Harry...Connick Jr.? No he's handsome but too old. Harry… that one guy..oh what's his name.. Pop Singer! Oh God please tell me you're not dating that douchebag!" Dean exclaimed.

Castiel who had been sitting there with quite a large amount of amusement on his face was suddenly giving him a bitch face that would rival his own.

"No I am not dating Harry Styles Dean! Do I really look like someone who would date a member of One Direction? I was going to be nice and maybe buy you a slice of pie or something. Now, there's no pie, consider yourself punished." his face leaking into a small smile, Dean couldn't help but find it freaking adorable.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. Man the look on your face was worth it. I guess it's a good thing I can afford my own pie, and I don't have to depend on the kindness of almost strangers.

"I suppose it is." He replied his smile growing a little sideways as he finished chewing his bite.

So, your boyfriend is Harry and you said his best friend was Ed...?"

"Yes Dean." Cas looked confused as the wheels in Dean's mind were turning trying to remember where he knew the combination from.

"Ohh! I know who he is now. You're dating Harry Sparkler or something.. the ghost guy aren't you?" Dean clapped in victory as the other man tucked his head down in a coy smile of defeat.

"Yes, and the name is Spangler, but how did you guess?" he managed to get out before picking up his slice for another bite.

"My brother keeps sending me links to their YouTube channel. They call themselves Ghostfacers or something right? Cuz they face the ghosts when other's will not or some shit like that." He was trying so hard not to laugh, but it wasn't easily managed..

Cas rolled his eyes before glaring at the man sitting across from him. "I don't know why you are laughing. Harry is very talented and they actually make a pretty good living thanks to that web show."

Now, Dean felt like shit for laughing. It is obvious that Castiel takes his boyfriend's job seriously, no matter how ridiculous it really was."I'm sorry Cas. It's just that you seem so put together and he, well he just doesn't."

"I suppose you are right, but I've known him since before the YouTube channel. They "ran" a website called Hell Hound's Lair, back in college. I was a student worker for the IT department and let's just say that neither of them were tech savvy enough to actually run the site. I got called so many times because they screwed something up."

Dean chuckled along with his friend, yeah the guys didn't really seem the type to think before they jumped.. but Castiel was another story. The man really gave off the vibe of I've got it under control.

"After a while, Harry started asking me out. I finally made a deal with him. I told him I would go out with him if, and only if, the two of them would sign up for a computer class. I found him to be adorable, so that helped. They took the class, figured their shit out, and we've been together ever since." He continued.

"Wow, and when was that?"

"Probably not as long as it sounds, It was my senior year. I'm 29 now, so it will be three years in August."

"Wow man, that's great. uh actually that kinda brings me back to my original question. What does Harry think of you coming to lunch with me?"

"He doesn't mind, I believe he's helping Ed get the party ready. Besides, he knows I would never be unfaithful."

Time flew by as the conversation flowed. He was having a great time, but something seemed off. Well, Cas seemed a bit off, ever since he talked about Harry. All of the sudden, a loud buzz went off. Both men jumped a bit. "Sorry Dean, that was my alarm. It's three o'clock and I really must be going. I still have to pick up the cake before I go to Ed's and he lives about forty-five minutes from here. "

After they split the bill at Cas' insistence, they walked out of the restaurant and found themselves standing next to the Impala. "Is this your car Dean?" Cas asked.

"Yea, this is my baby, she's my version of the batmobile."


	4. Holy Shower Batman!

It had been over an hour since Cas had left Dean at the restaurant and he still couldn't shake this weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something had changed during their lunch. Castiel had been so open and caring at the con, and then again when they'd first started talking at the restaurant, but after he mentioned Harry's feelings the guy seemed to clam up a bit. He shook his head and tried to forget it as he made his way to Sammy's dorm.

He hit the speed dial and waited as it rang. "Sammy, I'm here. You want me to come up or wait down here?"

"Hey Dean. Sorry, I'm not in my dorm, my class got out late. I'm across campus, but on my way there now, should be about ten minutes." Sam huffed as if he were jogging already.

"No problem, Sammy. Take your time." He teased and immediately heard his brother slow down his step and let out a polite laugh.

"Okay, Thanks man. I'll see you in a few."

Dean hung up the phone and kicked his boot against the pavement, he'd already gotten out of the Impala before he called Sam so he just leaned against the sleek black metal and tried to think. It wasn't long before someone on campus spotted him and shyly asked for an autograph. He kept a small supply of Sharpie pens on him, just in case. It wasn't as egotistical as it was logical, and to be honest he really did love signing things and talking to his fans. He knew that if it weren't for them he'd still be a grease monkey living from payday to payday. All of his success was because the people who watched the show identified with him and saw some kind of talent he assumed, his adorable smile and fine ass probably didn't hurt he joked to himself.

He hugged the girl and demanded she take a photo with him, and was rewarded with an open mouth gasp and a cute blush on her cheeks. She was cute sure, her long brown hair and matching eyes were adorable, but she was a little too young for his taste. He posed for the camera and she eventually stopped shaking enough to take the picture and he hugged her goodbye. When he looked up he saw the wide toothy grin of his brother and what might have been pride shining in his eyes.

He waved goodbye when he heard a squeaky giggle leave the poor girl's lips as she walked away. Sam pushed forward and climbed into the passenger side as Dean slid into his own. He rubbed nervously at his neck, unsure of how to say what he was thinking, or if he should even say it at all.

"Okay, what is it?" Sam asked with a serious look on his face and his brows lifting up like he knew something or some shit.

"What?" Dean asked defensively, which seemed to be his auto-response to anything that might be a sensitive issue. Cas was certainly a giant neon billboard ad for sensitive issues.

"Dude, I know you better than anyone. I can tell when something is up," Sam wore his best puppy dog, I care about you face that just broke Dean's resolve.

"Fine.. man I dunno. It's not a big deal or anything, I just can't get this guy out of my head. He told me he was happy in his relationship over lunch and I still checked his ass out when we left. It was still perfection, in case you were wondering. God this is stupid, I'm acting like a fucking chick about the whole thing." He huffed as he buried his head in his hands that were wrapped around the steering wheel.

"Dean, feeling things doesn't make you female it makes you human. I don't think you'd want to be some kind of soulless robot, and that's what not having emotions would get you. Although I do think it would be kind of funny… for a while." Sam chuckled as he flipped his long ass hair out of his eyes.

"Man, I dunno where you come up with this shit but sometimes you're kinda freaky dude. Anyway, back to me Sammy. You know I'm not the kind of guy who'd cheat or ever want someone who would, but there's something there.. and I don't think it's all in my head." Dean added hoping to get back to the source of his problems, so he could start the car and hit the road.

"Well why don't you just have dinner with him and his boyfriend, that way your brain acknowledges their relationship and you can finally move on. Maybe even take a date so you have someone else to focus your attention on." Sam shook his head as if it were the easiest answer in the world. How the hell was Dean supposed to know this shit, it wasn't like he watched . He'd rather watch late night Cinemax if he wanted to try to get in touch with himself.

"Thanks Sammy,' was all he could say as he started the engine and patted his brother playfully on the shoulder. Dean couldn't pass up the opportunity to shake his hand against the crown of gigantor's head either.

* * *

><p>They went to catch a movie at this small theater beside the hotel where the convention was held and ended up staying for a second one. Some stupid chick flick that Sam wanted to see. Okay so it wasn't all bad but he really did need to start limiting Sammy's estrogen intake. It was dark by the time they got back outside and his stomach was growling so they went to the diner that he'd taken Cas to the night before. He was completely unable to get the man off his mind and it was driving him crazy. Luckily he lasted long enough to listen to what Sam had to say about finishing out his summer class early so he could hit the con circuit with him. For a long time Dean was convinced it wasn't going to happen, but his kid brother the genius pulled it out of his ass at the last minute.<p>

Dean drove back to campus dorms, so Sammy could pick up his bags. As soon as he was out of the car Dean felt the vibrating phone on his hip. He bit his lip nervously and answered the call when he saw it was Cas. He tried to fight the overeager smile that lit his face, but it didn't work at all.

"Hey Cas," He answered trying to himself together as the nervousness in his stomach fluttered faster.

"Hello, Just Dean." he said with a slight chuckle.

"What's up?" Dean asked, silently praying Sammy took a bit longer than he expected so he wouldn't have to hang up the phone. God this was just getting pathetic, he chided himself.

"I was just about done cleaning up after the party and I was wondering what you were doing." Dean felt Castiel attempted to convey a much more casual tone than he was receiving. He could almost feel the tension lying beneath the words.

"Not much, just about to pick Sam's stuff up and he's gonna stay with me tonight before we head out tomorrow." Dean added nervously, he still wanted to go. He just wanted Cas to ask to go with him, which was a clear sign that he'd already let things go too far.

"Oh that's nice, I forgot you're supposed to leave tomorrow." Dean took a small amount of delight in the fact that Castiel seemed disappointed when he'd said it. He figured it was now or never with Sam's plan. He was past, "in over your head" and was clearly drowning.

"I'll be back in a couple weeks. I could take you to dinner, you could bring Harry and his uh... friend. We could make it a group thing, you never know I might even hit it off with the guy," Dean said. He bit back the nervous laugh in favor of a small awkward silence. He really did not want to be set up with his crush's boyfriend's best friend. He wasn't even sure why he suggested it, but the words wouldn't stop coming out of his mouth.

"Actually, Dean that would be great. I mean, I don't think you and Ed would be a good match, but I think it will make everyone feel more comfortable if it was a group thing."

"Awesome Cas. Look, Sam is walking up to the car. I'm going to be gone for two weeks but I'll be back that Sunday, and I won't have to leave again for a few days.. I'll be gone another couple weeks after me and let me know what works for you guys okay?" Dean smiled somewhat proud of himself. It was good that he wouldn't see Cas again very soon, despite the drop in his chest that seemed to plummet even further down.

"Sounds good. I'll let you know as soon as possible Dean. Thank you for thinking of Harry, you really are a good friend.."

No, what Dean was, was screwed.

* * *

><p>When they got back to the apartment, Dean's mind drifted back to the night before when Castiel was just a few short feet away. Now he felt the divide much more significantly, not even bothering to push it down at the moment. He stripped off the layers, it was like they were choking him and hopped in the shower. The blasts of hot water beating against his back was glorious. He didn't splurge on much after he started making good money but the big water heater and the fancy showerhead were amazing investments. Overly exhausted from the days events, he let the water wash his stress away.<p>

When he'd dried off, Dean dressed himself and slipped into the living room. He settled into the recliner, Sam's gigantic body was already taking up the couch. The leather seat felt familiar and provided comfort, but he still managed to be wrapped up in thoughts of Castiel and the distance between them. He switched the tv on hoping to find a movie both he and Sam would be interested in watching and finally settled on the Harry Potter marathon that abc family seemed to run every single weekend. Eventually he went to bed not long after he heard snoring from Sam's side of the room.

The Winchester brothers woke up early the next morning, Dean's alarm pulling them both out of a deep sleep. He needed coffee and quickly if he was expected to drive across the country, or halfway at least. The next con was much smaller, they'd offered to fly him in on a plane but he wasn't too keen on that idea and he always loved a good excuse to road trip with Sammy.

They were driving down the interstate less than an hour later, AC/DC blaring on the radio. The smiles on their faces, well Dean's face was brighter than it had been in a while. Sammy lived fairly close and they usually saw each other at least once a week but Dean would be lying if he said he hadn't missed his kid brother. Sam had been incredibly busy with his schoolwork and the giant dork even took summer classes.

He was just about to pull over for gas when he watched his phone vibrate across the dash. Sam's brows shot up and he reached for it immediately only to get a hard smack to the arm. Dean scooped it up but didn't want to read it until he was safely off the road. Sam shook his head and gave a bitch face before heading inside, but the second he was out of sight Dean opened his messages. It was from Castiel and he couldn't help the smile that pulled his lips up.

Have a safe trip, text me whenever you want. -Cas, by the way.

Thanks Cas, I will whenever I can. -Just Dean

You're not texting and driving are you Dean? -Cas, by the way.

Nah man, I'll admit I sometimes pick up a call while on the road but I can't read and drive well enough to even remotely entertain the idea. Why? - Just Dean.

Okay, just wanted to make sure you were being cautious. I don't like irresponsible drivers, and am glad that you are keeping yourself safe. -Cas, by the way

Sure thing. -Just Dean

Dean felt a flutter inside him when he realized that Cas was actually worried about him, instead of just issuing the standard "Have a safe trip." that everyone said when they knew you were leaving. He didn't text Cas again until much later that day when they stopped for dinner and grabbed a hotel. It wasn't a massive rush they left early enough for Sam to take in a few sights because the dork just had to have a list of crap he wanted to the fuck cared about the world's largest ball of twine? His brother that's who.

He resisted the urge to text Cas the moment they pulled over and just enjoyed really good chinese takeout along with Sammy's company. They found a decent motel and Sam went in to get the rooms because the one time Dean had done it they woke up to a parking lot full of reporters. Having fans and being recognizable had it's downsides from time to time but mostly it was great.

They continued on their trip, stopping almost every time Sam saw some stupid sign about the worlds largest whatever it was that day. They still made it on time.. barely but the smile on his brother's face was more than enough reward for the detours. They settled into his new hotel room and passed out asleep, knowing he'd have to get up a little early to learn his schedule before he got dressed and went downstairs.

When he met his new "handler" he couldn't help but think of Cas. When the guy was a total dickbag, it only reminded him of the gorgeous blue eyed guy even more. He was only half an hour into the con before the guy split completely, which left him on his own to find his way around. Luckily Garth's handler didn't mind him tagging along with them and they had almost all the same appearances. He texted Cas to tell him of his epic handler fail, and maybe a little because he missed the guy so much.

Dude this guy is a total dick! I really miss you, being my handler I mean. -Just Dean

I'm sorry he's incompetent, maybe you can tell a staff member and get someone else. -Cas, by the way.

Nah it's not worth all that, I'll just cruise along with Garth and his handler. Her name is Bess and I think she has a massive crush on him, it's cute. -Just Dean

Good plan, if you get lost and need me to look up building schematics or something don't hesitate to ask.-Cas, by the way

Dude, I'm not going to get lost. -Just Dean

Less than an hour later….

Uh.. Cas, that offer still good? -Just Dean

For..? -Cas, by the way

Ugh you're going to make me say it aren't you. -Just Dean

I don't know what you mean Dean, what would I be making you say? -Cas, by the way

You know, snarky doesn't look good on you Cas. Fine. I'll admit it .. I'm lost.. now can you please get me out of this hell hole? There's a creepy person dressed in all black and I think they're either a ninja or really bad at stalking me. -Just Dean

Of course, I'd love to help can you tell me where you are? Would you like me to alert the authorities about your stalker? -Cas, by the way

I'm in a long hallway with like 10 doors on each side or some shit, It's the only one I've seen so I'm hoping it's enough to go on. And no I can handle myself, it's just creepy as fuck. -Just Dean

Castiel navigated him through the maze easily enough, but he honestly did not know how he even ended up there. His sense of direction was great, hell better than most but the place was like some sort of mystery spot. He thanked him politely when he got back out to where he needed to be and rushed toward the stage grateful that he was only two minutes late.

He talked to Castiel off and on over the next week and a half and even received an excited phone call when he sent the text saying he was on his way back home. He smiled through the whole thing and Sam wouldn't let him live it down. He kept mouthing smoochy faces like a damn eight year old. He really wished the call would have came at a more convenient time, like when his brother wasn't around but he'd take what he could get.

When he hung the phone up, the teasing didn't stop but it did take a serious turn. He was headed for a damn chick-flick moment yet again, because Sammy had to talk things out. Okay so maybe he'd delved into a few more than he'd intended lately but this thing with Cas was new territory. He'd been instantly attracted to a ton of people but he knew if he wasn't incredibly careful he'd be falling in…like with very little effort.


	5. Holy Breakup Batman!

When Dean got home, he instantly sent Cas a text saying they'd made it into town. He told himself it was just a friendly check-in but his mind only allowed him that reality for a moment before it plainly stated that it was just an excuse to talk the guy. He settled himself in and unpacked his bag before he jumped in the shower. It always felt nice to be home despite how much he truly did enjoy the conventions and hanging out with the fans.

He checked his phone the minute he stepped into his bedroom, still somewhat dripping onto the towel tied around his waist. Sure enough there was a response and he smiled at it. Cas just thanked him for letting him know that he made it back okay and said that he hoped they could work something out for their "group thing" that evening. Dean agreed instantly, hoping that Sam was right about what he was doing. It would be good to see how Castiel acted and reacted to his boyfriend. If nothing else, it would at least solidify it as a truth in Dean's mind, and for that he could be grateful. There was no use in falling for someone he couldn't have.

He spent the rest of his day doing laundry, cleaning up, and trying everything else he could think of to distract himself. When his schedule alert went off telling him it was time to get ready, the smile slowly climbed to his cheeks. He was looking forward to hanging out with Cas again, even if it was just as friends. He told himself there wasn't anything wrong with it, even though he knew it was a lie.

He went through his closet in a way Dean Winchester never had, he'd also never had to worry about what to wear or how he looked. He'd done black-tie galas, and cocktail parties, and even some high brow costume parties. He'd never been this nervous about his outfit. Eventually he gave up and threw on some dark jeans, boots, and a button up dress shirt with the top buttons left open. He slipped inside the Impala, happy to let her calm down his anxious stomach.

* * *

><p>Castiel smiled into the phone as he tried to explain to Ed the perks of being near Dean Winchester, while Harry was screaming, scoffing, and making rude comments over his shoulder. He really didn't like the things that his boyfriend was saying, and he planned to take up that point as soon as his phone call was finished. He thought it would be rude to start an argument while still having a conversation with someone else, so he held his tongue.<p>

"No really, he's very approachable, personable, and kind. I think you'd really like Dean if you'd give him a chance." On the other end of the phone Castiel was met with equal resistance and it started to feel like a very futile war. It wasn't so much that he even thought his boyfriend's best friend would be a super great match for Dean, but he thought at the very least he and Ed both could try to be open minded about it.

Cas talked for a few minutes until Ed agreed that if Harry was going to be there to shoulder some of the conversation responsibilities he'd join them. He was done, so he handed the phone over to his boyfriend who demanded to talk to his friend as well. Castiel sat down, his shoulders rigid and tight. If Harry had learned anything about him over the course of their long relationship he would know that he meant business. He waited quite patiently reminding himself of all the sly digs that his boyfriend managed to spew out about Dean, just so he didn't forget how upset he really was.

After what seemed like forever Harry finally hung up with Ed, laughing about how they would "handle the male model." Which only made the constant reminders completely unnecessary Castiel's anger burned hotter than it ever had. His blood was warming under the skin and he heard his heart beating so loudly in his chest that it made him wonder if his ear drums were gonna burst. He took a few deep breaths in a futile attempt to calm himself down.

"Harry we need to talk…" he started, as he felt the logical side of himself take over. He needed a cool head to convey the things he wanted to say, and he did his best to not scream.

"Well that sounds ominous," Harry replied. Castiel watched as he flopped against the large sofa and stretched his body out until his feet were planted on the glass top of his coffee table. Cas hated when he did that, it would have been different if it was his own furniture, or even if the table was solid wood instead of such a fragile material.

"I don't understand why you say those things about Dean. You've never met him and yet you think it's funny to insult nearly everything about him. What has he ever done to you?" Castiel asked with the least amount of teeth grinding he could manage.

Harry rolled his eyes and sighed like he was the one who was upset or exasperated, which only stoked the flame already burning in Castiel's veins. Then Harry crossed his arms defensively, like he'd somehow been offended. "Cas, come on buddy… he's a douchenozzle you can tell by looking at him."

Castiel's jaw clenched and his hand curled into a tight fist, now it wasn't just about Dean but about Harry's judgmental attitude as well. He was ready to speak, ready to tear it all down only to be interrupted by more of Harry's incessant rambling.

"I mean the guy fakes it well enough for the fans or whatever but you know the type.. uber successful and an ego to match." He added.

"NO! Dean isn't like that!" Castiel roared, his body shaking with a violent rage he'd never felt before.

"Why are you like… freaking out on me man, I'm just being honest. I think if you spent time with the chisel chest hollywood superstar outside of the …public eye.. you'd see that too." Harry was indignant in his response and Castiel had nearly had enough of the whole thing.

"As a matter of fact I have spent time with him, we went for lunch before he left and he was quite pleasant company. Honestly, right now you're being far more pompous than I think he's ever been." Castiel cocked his eyebrow and folded his arms tight across his chest to mimic that of his boyfriend.

"What.. what do you mean you went out "for lunch"... are you… did you cheat on me?" Harry looked offended and Cas couldn't help but roll his eyes at the idea.

"Really Harry? Are you so insecure that you would think that? All because I had lunch with the man? Maybe, you think that little of me. I would never cheat on anyone…it was just a friendly lunch Harry… I'm allowed to have friends," he replied with a slight raise in volume.

Looking at Harry, he looks thoroughly confused. "You already have friends, I don't see why you need have me… and Ed." Harry scoffed.

"No, YOU have Ed and whenever we all spend time together I usually end up feeling like the third wheel in my own relationship." Cas could hear his voice getting even louder with each response but was completely helpless to stop it. This wasn't leading anywhere good, but he knew if he and Harry were ever truly going to be happy they would have to work on his trust issues.

"He is my best friend, of course I think he's awesome and want to spend time with him. So what, that makes you think it's okay to galavant all over the city with a Ken doll?" Harry stood up, Castiel could clearly see he was even more furious, but that was nothing compared the the wrath that Cas could bring down himself.

"He's not a Ken Doll.. .he's fucking BATMAN!" He screeched, finally at the end of his rope he'd exploded.

"Well if you like him so much why don't you just go marry him!" Harry screamed back.

"Fine, maybe I will!" Castiel's chest was heaving and he felt his heart bursting, but honestly he wasn't nearly as upset as he should have been. This was likely the end of their relationship and he was more occupied with the idea that Harry was likely more upset about Cas trying to hook Dean up with Ed than he was about their impending breakup.

"I just got punched right in the feels." Harry said with a small pout on his lips.

"Look Harry.. I don't know what's going on with you guys.. but I think you should ask yourself why it always seemed to me that you and Ed had more chemistry than we ever did, or why you spend every waking moment with him, or maybe just maybe think about how upset you got at the ludicrous idea that Ed would go on a date with anyone, let alone Dean Winchester. I hope you find those answers Harry but when you do .. don't bother calling me about it. You can go now," he said as he pointed at the door. When Harry grabbed his jacket, he turned as if he were going to say something but instead he just spun back around and stepped out.

* * *

><p>Castiel checked his phone, he was going to be at least ten minutes late. He cursed the fact that his ex-boyfriend picked the worst possible time to be a complete ass. The traffic didn't look like it was going to clear up anytime soon but, it was moving and thankfully the exit to the restaurant where he was supposed to meet Dean was only a couple of miles away. Castiel really wanted to curl up in bed and eat ice cream as per his usual breakup routine, but instead he's dressed and rushing to get somewhere he doesn't want to be so he can let down someone he didn't want to disappoint.<p>

He sent a quick text just explaining the fact that he was a few minutes late, not wanting to get into the details until they were face to face. Hopefully, Dean would understand and not be too broken up that Ed wasn't coming. He pulled into the parking spot and checked his appearance in the rearview mirror. His eyes were glossy and his cheeks a little red but overall it was the best he could hope for, so he went in.

Dean was sitting at the table waiting for him and despite his burning desire to be anywhere else, the smile that greeted him felt like a warm blanket wrapping him in comfort. He tried to hold back the emotions but the minute he felt the thick strong arms close around him in a hug, the tears began rolling down his cheeks.

'I'm sorry, Dean. They aren't coming. Honestly, you should probably be grateful but I couldn't reach you before you left, so I wanted to tell you in person." Castiel was rambling, his mind overwhelmed by the way his body was reacting to everything, it was crazy really. He hadn't even been that upset when Harry walked out the door. He knew it didn't make sense but when he saw the amount of concern seeping from Dean's bright green eyes, he stopped questioning it.

"Cas, slow down… What happened, are you okay?" Dean would have given anything to get rid of that sad, pitiful look on Castiel's face. It brought out a protective side of him that he'd not felt since Sammy was about two feet shorter, and ten years younger.

"I'm fine Dean, I just.. I really don't know what's come over me. I'm not usually like this.. it's just uh.. Harry and I had a fight, no .. not a fight we broke up, but I'm okay.. really." Castiel wasn't even sure if he was trying to convince Dean or himself that he wasn't breaking down but he was doing a poor job of both.

"Well this is the last place you need to be, Cas." Dean chided, he threw a nice tip down on the table and pulled gently on Castiel's arm until they were outside. He leaned them against the side of his baby, using it's proximity to get a handle on his emotions.

"Look man, I can leave you alone and let you have your space if you want, or we can grab some pizza and ice cream, go over to my place, and marathon old movies all night?" Dean felt his nerves breaking into pieces as he waited for a response, his heart pounding in his ears.

"I really appreciate the offer Dean, but I think I should probably just deal with this myself." Castiel spoke with a sad smile that made Dean want to punch something. His reflex was to beat the crap out of Harry's stupid face, but he wasn't sure if it was more because he'd made Cas upset, or made him happy in the first place.

"Okay sure, just text and check-in with me though okay? I don't like the idea of you being upset….and alone.."

Castiel nodded his head eagerly and let Dean pull him in for one last hug before he slumped over toward his Prius. The evening breeze picking up a chill from the ocean, cut right through him until he slid into the firm leather seat. He took a few minutes to regain his composure and headed toward his apartment.

When he got there he kicked his shoes off and rushed into his bedroom slipping out of the uncomfortable denim he'd put on to make himself look presentable. Now he opted for the comfort of his raggedy pajamas and an old Rush tee that he hadn't worn in ages. The soft cotton felt good against his skin. He made his way into the kitchen to check his freezer and he remembered that Ed had finished off the last of his favorite ice cream; Ben & Jerry's half baked flavor.

Disgruntled, he settled himself down on his couch and wrapped up in the soft blanket he kept thrown over the back. He sat there bored, staring at the wall for nearly an hour before he gave in and texted Dean.

That offer still good? -Cas, by the way

Send me an address and I'll be right there. -Just Dean


	6. Holy Heartache Batman!

Castiel smiled, it was nice to think that he had a friend willing to drop things and be at his side when he needed someone. It had been quite a while since he'd had anyone that close. Harry and Ed seemed to share that kind of friendship with one another, but were typically too busy to extend any form of that onto him. He made his way into his bedroom, fighting the urge to crawl up in bed as he typically would. It almost felt like he was going through the motions more than actually being upset but he tried not to think about it, after all Harry was his longest relationship and surely he was just holding himself together by chance.

He pulled out the comfortable striped pants and slipped into his bathroom to change. The jeans he'd wore to the restaurant were officially no longer allowing him room to breathe, let alone think. He pulled them over his hips as quickly as he could and replaced them with the soft cotton pajamas. He pulled on his favorite Brick shirt and lugged his favorite blanket to the couch and waited for Dean. He knew it was silly but there was a slight hum of electric under his skin and he tried to pass it off as a part of the emotional rollercoaster that came when your long-term boyfriend decides to finally be so much of a dick you can't overlook it any longer. Cas was just getting comfortable when there was a knock on the door. At first he didn't want to get up, but then he remembered who it was and abandoned the coziness to let his friend in.

Castiel opened the door widely, not even concerned that he probably looked like a wreck. It wasn't as if he'd been crying or anything, but he felt emotionally drained. He offered to help Dean carry things inside, but was instantly rejected.

"Dude, I've got this. You go get comfortable and I'll take care of everything else," Dean added as he emptied some of his arms onto Castiel's kitchen counter. Dean put the ice cream into the freezer and searched through the cabinets until he found the plates. He pulled a couple out and slid two slices on each.

" You want to somethin to drink man?"

"Water's fine… I think there's some beer or soda if you'd rather have something else though," he replied. It would have been nice to drink until he became numb but liquor only made him sleepy, and he didn't want to be rude. Also, if he was honest with himself, he really missed Dean and wanted to spend time with his friend. Cas was nestled in his blanket on the couch when Dean walked into the room. He would have needed to be blind to miss the flush of Dean's cheeks when he saw the pants Cas was wearing.

"I'm sorry Dean. I meant to give these back to you after I washed them, but they are so comfy that I couldn't even think of wearing anything else."

"Don't even worry about it. Consider them yours."

"Thanks, Dean. I know it's polite to argue a little more, but they really are comfy." Cas let out a small laugh, for the first time since his breakup with Harry.

"Alright, so what do you want to do first? I brought some old movies, and threw my playstation in for good measure. What will it be, swooning over Cary Grant or taking out some frustration by hacking zombies, demons, and all kinds of other freaky ass monsters into pieces?"

"That's a difficult choice, but I think it might make me feel better to do a little killing."

* * *

><p>They sat slotted against one another on the couch for a couple hours, happily shooting anything that moved. The silence is a little awkward, probably because Dean is anxiously wondering about what happened between Cas and his boyfriend, but is too afraid to ask. He lets it go, lets his curiosity stew idly unchecked. He doesn't want to push things, to press forward, he wants Castiel to deal with whatever he needs to without the added strain of Dean's huge freaking crush on the guy.<p>

They played until both of them were struggling to keep their eyes open, Dean finally giving in despite his desire to revel in the closeness between them. "I should go…"

"I don't think you should drive, you are almost as tired as I am Dean, just take my bed and I'll sleep here on the couch.

"I'm not going to kick you out of your own bed Cas, just tell me where there's a spare blanket and I'll hang out on the couch if you're sure that you don't mind." It wasn't easy for his brain to make connections in it's current state but he felt a spur of arousal take him over when he thought about how close they'd be sleeping to one another, once again.

"I would argue with you, but I know you well enough not to bother." Cas shook his head and smiled, his teeth showing more than they had the entire night and Dean counted that as a win. He knew things would be rough for the guy but he'd expected tears, rants, or … something. Castiel had said they'd been together for years, it wasn't just some short time fling. Dean wasn't sure if he should be disappointed or excited by the fact that Cas seemed to be taking things really well.

Cas handed him a pillow and a soft blanket, nodding before he turned around and went back to his room. Dean made up the couch quickly, and stretched out. The scent of Cas' cologne hit him like a brick. The thin case wrapped around his plush pillow was pressed against his nose and he let out a groan as he tried to control himself.

"Are you okay?" He heard Castiel ask from the bedroom. It was a good thing the guy didn't get out of bed to check on him because Dean was sure his face was beet red. He took in a deep breath and found the composure to answer.

"Yeah, sorry just getting comfortable." The last thing he wanted was to reveal his inability to be fight an erection just because Cas had loaned him a damn pillow. He ran a list of the most disgusting things he could think of through his mind and although it took much longer than it should have, he eventually regained control of his body. He sank back down into the cushions, the smell of cinnamon and coconut still surrounding his nose. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>Castiel woke up to the sounds and scent of sausage frying and he groaned in delight. It took him a moment to realize that it wasn't a normal occurrence in his life, and then a minute longer to remember Dean was probably the one cooking. He was just about to slide out of bed when he heard footsteps nearing his door. He quickly tucked himself back under the covers, not wanting his morning excitement to be on display.<p>

Dean looped his head around the corner and Cas gave him a quick smile, showing he was in fact awake. He leaned against the doorframe, his grin seemed a little shy and timid. "I made breakfast if you're hungry, even if you're not really.. you should eat."

"You didn't have to do that, but I do appreciate it, Dean. I'll join you in a moment," He answered. Castiel waited for him to step back out of view and threw the covers off in a rush, his steps quick and precise. He tried to calm himself down, his dick only seemed to grow at the small glimpse of skin he'd caught when Dean's shirt had ridden up just a tad. He banished those thoughts immediately and broke himself back down so he could use the bathroom.

After splashing a few handfuls of cold water against his face, he dried himself off and walked toward the warmth of his kitchen. When he stepped in he saw two heaping plates of pancakes and sausage on the table and couldn't stop the smile from climbing on his cheeks. "Wow, this looks amazing, Dean. You really didn't need to go through all this trouble."

"It wasn't a problem, man. I didn't buy the groceries, so let's just call it reimbursement for eating half your food,"Dean answered with a wide smile and a light chuckle. Castiel couldn't help the flutter of anxiousness that flipped in his chest when he saw how sweet and kind the man in front of him really was. Even in pajamas with his hair looking slightly less tame, he was beautiful. Castiel bit his lip, it was the day after the end of his long term relationship, he knew it was the last thing he needed. Thinking of the one person willing to be there for him, the one person he called friend, in that way was unacceptable.

"Thank you all the same," he answered, moaning around the first bite of soft, fluffy pancakes. Dean gave a hearty laugh at his obvious surprise, and despite his insistence that he not get caught up in his friend, he fell a little harder.

"Not just a pretty face you know, I have actual real life skills too." Dean's lips drew up in a cocky grin, before shoveling his own mouthful.

"I think we can both agree that I'm clearly in need of a crash course in Dean Winchester, so why don't you tell me more about yourself." Castiel sipped his juice and listened intently as Dean did the best he could to distract him from his supposed heartache, which felt surprisingly insignificant when stacked against spending time with bright smiles, deep laughs, and in the company of someone that actually took an interest in what he was saying. It seemed like forever since he felt like more than just a short-term substitute for someone else.

* * *

><p>They talked over breakfast, laughing and learning more about one another than they had in the entirety of their friendship. It started with small tidbits about Sam, or his mom and dad. Castiel told a few funny stories of his awkward years which spurred Dean to go into great detail of his fumble out of the bisexual closet. Which was, his father walking in on him with Brandon White, half naked, sitting on his lap, looking like a guy who'd just experienced his first orgasm.<p>

"I swear, it's simultaneously my proudest and most embarrassing moment." Dean laughed, his head thrown back and small drops of happy tears hanging in the slit of skin threatening to fall over.

"Wow, I would have been mortified. What did you do?" Cas asked, his face shining a fair amount of glee and curiosity. Dean loved the way that the blue eyes would open wide and Castiel would scoot to the edge of his seat, showing just how enraptured he was with every detail.

"Nothin, Dad just shook his head and told me I was steam cleaning the chair later. Come to find out later on, he was more upset that he owed my mom ten bucks for a bet he made than he was about my sexuality. I was really lucky that way, I guess." Dean smiled, thinking fondly of how open and accepting his parents had been once they found out. He smiled even brighter when he remembered how excited Sam was about the new information, he'd researched all night long on how to be an ally in the LGBTQA community.

"That's nice, it's good that your family was so supportive. Not everyone has that. My mother wasn't exactly pleased, but she quickly figured out that not accepting me wasn't really an option if she wanted to keep me around so she's adjusted quite well. She's always loved me, I've never doubted that, but there was a time that it was hard for her to reorganize the picture of my future that she'd dreamed up. Once she realized that I would still want kids though, she pulled out the rainbow flag and hopped on the gay train." He laughed, and Dean couldn't help but think it was one of the most beautiful sounds ever. Cas had a deep, chilling voice at times, but the way he lit up when he laughed was truly spectacular. He tried to deny the fact that he was falling harder than ever before, but even "no chick-flick moments" Dean Winchester could only lie to himself for so long, before it caught up to him.

He was so fucked.


	7. Holy Developement Batman!

Dean felt better than he had in a long time, despite the firm grasp his self-loathing seemed to have on him. He'd gone back out on tour for the third trip, and instead of being subjected to limited text and phone calls he'd managed to convince Cas to come along. Sam of course, was delighted with the idea. Now that Castiel was no longer in a relationship with someone else, he'd given his brother permission to lust after him. Not that it really made a difference, Dean had practically already planned their wedding in his head.

They'd spent over a month navigating their new friendship, and even though he'd been careful, he'd fallen faster and harder than ever before. He was terrified that Castiel would think he'd only been pretending to be his friend all this time, just to get in his pants or something. Even he knew that the situation looked a bit sketchy. Hell, half the time he couldn't convince himself that he'd had good intentions. If Cas would have stayed with Harry, Dean would have completely been on board to be his friend anyway, but he'd wanted him from the moment he'd laid eyes on him. So, it was difficult to pick out exactly why things happened the way they did.

Everything had been going great until they stopped off at this "adorable" cafe that Sammy wanted to try. They pulled the Impala into the slanted spot on the pavement and stepped out. When they pushed inside, Sam scrambled to find his own table where he could pull out his laptop and 'get some kind of work done," he'd said.

Dean had never put a whole lot of effort into his anonymity, so people recognized him quite often. Usually it wasn't a problem, but they'd just sat down when their conversation was brought to a stop. "You're Dean Winchester, right?"

Dean gave his best smile, even though he was tempted to tell the guy to fuck off. He really loved his fans, seriously he did, but when anything threatened his time with Cas, it felt like a personal attack.

"Last time I checked," he joked, not wanting to disappoint anyone. He turned to the side and waited for whatever it was the guy wanted.

"I thought that was you, umm.. I know this is a little forward but, if you're going to be in town for the night, maybe we could grab dinner?" He had to give the guy credit, it was ballsy and had it been a few years earlier he might have even considered it. However, Dean wasn't in the mood for casual anymore, and certainly not with the one he actually wanted to be with sitting across from him.

"I'm flattered, really. I appreciate the offer.. but I'm headed back to California and we were just stopping off to grab a bite," he answered politely. Dean was silently hoping that the guy wasn't as persistent as others had been, and would be nice enough to just walk away. Thankfully, with a slightly dejected look, he did just that.

Castiel's eyes raked over Dean as he popped a fry into his mouth. He tried very hard to focus on anything other than the way Cas' lips would feel, slightly parted, against his own. Using the anchor that was his giant of a brother sitting a few tables away, sprawled out with his laptop, he found a calm place and kept the blush from tinting his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Dean. I wasn't aware that we were in a hurry. Had I known that, I wouldn't have asked you to stop so many times, just for me to look around." Castiel's brows furrow and Dean feels his heart drop to his stomach.

"No, no.. it's not exactly rushed.. It was just as honest as I could be while trying not to hurt his feelings." Dean couldn't help the small itch that crawled it's way under his skin at the thoughts of being with anyone else.

'"Oh, so you just didn't want to… go to dinner with him?" Castiel tilted his head to the side, as if he were trying to comprehend the mysteries of the universe, instead of Dean's love life. He pushed it down and tried to refocus himself on Cas, which oddly enough seemed to be the only thing he could do.

"No, I didn't." Dean knew it was a little short, but he honestly didn't want to explain why, when the only reason he needed was staring at him, completely oblivious to his massive crush.

"May I ask why not? He was obviously attractive, and as you said we weren't actually in a rush.." Castiel was probably just curious, but these are the conversations Dean liked to avoid at all cost, even when he wasn't internally breaking down.

"Do you want me to go get him, be your wingman?" Dean laughed, hoping that would be enough to drop the subject, and praying to anyone who might be listening that Cas didn't take him seriously about the offer.

Castiel blushed, making Dean seriously reconsider how the fuck he'd never made a move on the guy. He quickly remembered that it was because he was supposed to be his damn friend, instead of constantly perving on him, or thinking about how fucking adorable he looks with a slight pink color added to his cheeks. "No thank you, I uh.. I was just curious. You don't seem to date a whole lot which is surprising to me."

Dean shrugs nervously, unsure of what to say now. It was true he'd not even looked at another girl, or guy since he'd met Cas, but that didn't mean he wanted to advertise it to the guy. "I'm not really looking for anything random, I got the hooking-up out of my system a long time ago. Now I think I'm happy with where I'm at, and if the right person decides to make an offer, well I'm open to the idea."

"But how do you know he wasn't the right person?" Castiel asked him, raising a brow. Honestly, Dean didn't know what the hell he was going to say but this was not looking like it was an easily dropped subject.

"I just do, okay? I know that he's probably a great guy, Cas but he just wanted a fun night with a celebrity, and that's not really my style." Dean added on, once again thinking he'd left the conversation topic behind him. Unfortunately, it didn't seem Castiel felt the same way.

"So, you're looking for something serious then? It's good that you know what you want, I wish I had figured it out much sooner. So tell me what's the right person look like for Dean Winchester?" Castiel smiled taking a healthy bite from his burger and moaning obscenely enough to cause him to blush and Dean's jeans to feel less comfortable.

Dean rubbed his neck nervously, unwilling to hold up a mirror and confess his undying love. "I don't know. I mean, ideally it would be a person I could talk to, someone I considered a good friend. Obviously, there has to be a physical attraction, as well as intelligence and the ability to keep me on my toes. I like a good back and forth, and someone who can't keep me interested in conversation, has little chance of making me happy long term. How about you, Cas. What do you look for in a guy?"

"I want what every little gay boy wants, Dean." Castiel said, his smile widening further than Dean had ever seen it. It would have thrown him off a little if he wasn't so damn curious as to what Cas meant when he spoke.

"And that would be?" Dean asked, unable to hold back the chuckle. Castiel's smile always seemed to pull out this giddy version of himself that he didn't quite understand. He wasn't complaining really, it felt amazing to finally have something in his life, besides his work that he was so damn passionate about. Cas, was it.

"Batman,"

Castiel's boss informed him that he had no option but to go home early, because they were closing up the shop. It had been an admittedly slow day, but he still could have accomplished something if he'd set his mind to it. He gathered his things, shoving his laptop and folders into his bag. He smiled and let his fingers trace over the framed picture on the corner of his desk. It was the first they'd had taken together and it had been a long night of shooting for Dean, but he still managed to have most of the cast pose for a photo with Castiel before he'd taken him on an unscheduled set tour. It was only a few weeks into their relationship, and even then anyone watching could tell how deeply he'd already fallen for Dean.

It had been almost a year since then, and he still couldn't stop smiling when he thought about it. Once he pulled into their shared driveway he pushed his way inside, the messenger bag strapped across his chest knocking against the door before he could turn around to close it.

"Dean!" He called out. hoping he could celebrate his early homecoming with his boyfriend. He dropped his stuff off beside the desk that sat in the corner of their living room and made his way into the kitchen. He found an open laptop on the counter with a bow wrapped around it. Castiel tilted his head to the side, unsure of where it had come from but he moved closer to investigate more thoroughly. There was a small pair of scissors laying beside it, and a blue post-it note that read "Open me, Cas."

Castiel shook his head, he'd have to talk to Dean about the extravagant gifts again. He'd mentioned a few weeks prior that his personal laptop was a gateway to hell, which it was. Being an IT technician with all the latest equipment at work, only to make do with a four year old system with an even older processor at home was more than a little difficult.

He clicked the small power button and grabbed his reusable water bottle from the fridge. He took a long gulp before sitting it far, far, away from his new laptop. The welcome screen came on immediately, but he was a little confused when he saw that there was a password lock on it. He asked for the hint and laughed heartily when the words popped up. "NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA "

Cas typed Batman in the password box with the grin still plastered on his face, and was let in right away. The background was a picture of Dean holding a post-it that said "Videos." Interested and always curious, Castiel opened the folder with the same name and found multiple entries. He was careful at first, not wanting to view them in the wrong order, or perhaps even at all.. depending on what they were. There were no thumbnails, which was obviously Dean's intention.. but there were some clues with the file names. He scrolled through them until he found one labeled "Watch First."

He hesitantly clicked on the video and let out a breath he was holding when he saw his gorgeous boyfriend's face. "Cas, I thought a lot about what I wanted to say, and how I wanted to say it. Initially I thought it should definitely be done face to face, but then I realized if I was going to get the words out I'd probably need to practice. So I did, and they're still not perfect, nothing ever will be but I want you to take a look at the other videos while I build some courage. It doesn't matter what order you watch them in, but I'd save Sammy's for last. It's kinda my favorite. See ya soon, sweetheart. I love you."

He swallowed hard, on the precipice of hope or destruction. He'd been in relationships before where he'd thought about proposals, weddings, and marriage. If he were honest, too many times he'd been disappointed by his own foolish dreams. He wasn't going to let himself get in too deep. He knew it wasn't a break up thing, because they were gloriously happy… but it could easily have been an anniversary he'd missed. Dean liked celebrating the little things and he couldn't always keep track.

He clicked play on the first video, Garth's goofy grin popping up on the screen. He listened to a very sweet speech about how he'd be happy to have Castiel replace him as Dean's best friend, and how awesome he thought it was that they'd both found one another. He clicked another, Harry and Ed were sitting on a couch, shy and a little embarrassed. They thanked him for helping them to see what they'd had all along, and even apologized for all the time they'd spent oblivious to how they'd felt. The next video was John and Mary, Castiel's eyes watered when they talked about how they'd longed to see both of their son's as happy as he'd made Dean. They welcomed him to the family, and he still tried to stifle his desire to see it as something more serious.

He paused after that one, taking in a few deep breaths to keep himself calm and relaxed before clicking the next to last video. It was Dean, with his mother. Castiel felt his pulse race even faster than it had been. He'd introduced the two only a few months into their relationship, and although Naomi seemed to be grateful that he wasn't Harry, she hadn't really told Cas how she felt about his boyfriend. He nervously bit at his fingernails as he listened to what happened. Dean politely asked if he could film their talk as a private video just for Cas, to which she reluctantly said yes. Once they'd set the camera up properly, Dean began again.

'I'm here today, because I wanted to ask for your blessing on asking Castiel to marry me. I love him more than anything, or anyone, and I'd like to spend the rest of my life with him."

"Dean, I.. you do realize that Castiel is a grown man and he doesn't need his mother's permission for anything." She responded, as if she wasn't sure what the point was.

"Yes, ma'am I do know that. I'm sure that you also realize that even if you don't give me your blessing I will undoubtedly ask him anyway. The thing is though, I'm going to show him this video either way, so that he will have all the information he might need before he answers me. I'd rather him see that you're happy about it, but if you're not, I don't want that to be something he's unaware of. "

"I'm sure he's capable of knowing what he wants and making a decision without my input, but if you want to know how I feel, I won't hold back. When Castiel first told me that he'd broken up with that Harry, I was relieved, I knew that he'd never be happy if he continued to stay in that relationship, but what's a mother to do? I let him make his mistakes, and did the best I could to be there for him when it didn't work. Then just a few months later he tells me he's dating another "hollywood type," needless to say I wasn't impressed. I thought for sure you'd use him, or that it wouldn't last a week, just like the ones you read about in the tabloid. Then I met you, Dean. You were polite, charming, and absolutely beautiful, I could see how easily my Castiel had been taken by you. It terrified me, and I thought for sure you'd break his heart. It wasn't until we had dinner here, just a few months ago that I let go of those fears. Castiel had excused himself for just a moment, and the way you looked at him when he wasn't watching, well let's just say that was the way my Charles used to look at me. You have my blessing, to ask him, and Castiel, you have my blessing to say yes."

Tears rolled down his cheeks, as he watched Dean engulf his very surprised mother into a warm hug. He wiped at his cheeks before clicking the final video. It was Sam, in his dorm room, rubbing his fingers through his hair with a smile. "You know, Dean said I could say anything on this, which clearly was a bad decision. I mean, do you have any idea how much dirt I have on this guy, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. I think he's going to ask me to be his best man though, and if I don't want to be replaced with Garth I should probably keep those dirty details to myself, for the moment. I'm sure I'll tell you some day. For now though, I think I'll just tell you about how smooth, cocky, self assured Dean Winchester reacted to meeting you."

Sam took a breath and Castiel chuckled a little, curious to find out what was happening. "Okay, so I'm just waking up after a long night of studying, trying to get all my classes finished so I could go on the road with my big brother when he calls me. The first words out of his mouth are "I've found the one."

Sam chuckled, and rolled his eyes. "I didn't believe him obviously, and for good reason, but he was convinced. He proceeded to go on and on about how amazing you were, but that you were completely off the market. Within twenty four hours, my brother had met you, and decided that you were it for him. Now I've never really believed in love at first sight, I think relationships are built on friendship, and even then it's a lot of hard work to make sure you both stay happy. I still feel the same way, but I'll say that you guys have shown me that it's not actually hard work, not when you love the person that much. You automatically want to do all the things that make them smile, laugh, or in this case.. cry I bet. Castiel, Dean might have known you were the one for him from the start, but just because it took the rest of us a little while to catch up, doesn't mean we don't already think you're family. I'm thankful to have you as a friend, and I'd be honored to call you my brother."

The video stopped and he heard the faint sound of Dean's shoes against the kitchen floor. He spun around quickly to see his boyfriend smiling, in a three piece suit that should be outlawed for the way it hugged his body.

"Dean," he gasped, unable to finish his thought.

He just smiled brighter as he moved closer and lowered himself onto one knee. "Cas, I've practiced a million different ways to say this, none of which are good enough for you but I want you to know that I love you, and if you'll let me, I'll do everything I can to make sure that you know that, each and every day for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?" He pulled a box from his pocket and held it up, a thin silver band with dark etchings through the middle.

"Yes, Dean YES!" Castiel cried as he lunged toward him, basically tackling him to the floor. He brought their lips together roughly, as a couple stray tears fell down his cheeks. He wrapped his arms around Dean's neck just a little tighter, when he brushed them away with his thumb.


	8. Holy Wedding Band Batman!

After making out on the kitchen floor for about five minutes longer than Dean's back found acceptable, he finally had to pull away from his fiancé. "Babe, I love you and would love to keep this going all day, but this floor is killing my back. Much more, and I won't be good for anything else."

"Oh Dean!" Cas says as he takes that moment to really examine the ring for the first time. "I don't know what I want to do first. I could call everyone I've ever known, take a bunch of pictures of the ring and post them on Instagram and Twitter, change my facebook status…"

"Take me to bed" Dean added to list, knowing he was being teased.

"Or I could do that." Cas added with a smirk, his fingers dancing up Dean's thigh through the fitted black slacks.

"How about I help you make that decision, Cas. Take me to bed or lose me forever."

Cas busted out laughing.

"I can't believe you are quoting 'An Officer and a Gentleman'. I'll let it slide, but only because I know how this scenario will end. Come on old man." Cas said as he pulled Dean to his feet, practically dragging him to their bedroom.

Dean chuckled as he slipped an arm under Cas' knees and nestled him into a bridal hold, after they'd climbed the stairs. He pulled his fiancé in for a quick kiss as his feet carried them both through the bedroom door. When he reached the edge of the soft mattress he laid Castiel down gently, treating him with the care and concern that had become interwoven throughout the entirety of their relationship. It wasn't constant or unyielding, because well sometimes a guy just needed to be pinned to the wall and taken, but it was for the most part, a default setting.

Dean stripped his suit jacket off, unable to move properly against the restricting material. He shucked his dress shoes too, before crawling up the bed. He took his time, stopping to remove Cas' converse and toss them on the floor. Dean smiled a little as he dipped his head in to leave a trail of teasing kisses behind him.

Castiel's arms latched onto his neck as he settled himself between the open vee of his thighs. Looking down, Dean felt his breath catch in his throat. The look of pure, unadulterated wonder sparkling inside the cerulean blue eyes made his whole body surge with desire, and the need to do everything possible to prove that his love was, and would always be unconditional.

"God, I love you." Dean said, his voice shaking slightly under the intensity of his emotion as he slid his fingertips beneath the white dress shirt Cas had worn to work.

"I should hope so, you did just ask me to spend the rest of my life with you." Castiel teased, drawing in a quick breath as Dean rolled his hips down against him.

"Well, you said yes.. so that means you're stuck with me now. No take backs, no returns, just me and you riding off into the sunset together." Though he hadn't intended for it to, a slight chuckle left his lips. Dean's fingers maneuvered the buttons of Cas' dress shirt as quickly as possible, wanting nothing more than to showcase the hidden beauty of his fiancé's lean frame.

"I would love nothing more than just that," Castiel replied. Dean could feel the hum of excitement running through them both. He mentally chastised himself for dressing up so much, simply because it meant so many extra layers between them. Once he'd freed Cas of almost every scrap of fabric covering him, he set to work on his own. The vest came off easily enough, but then he'd had his own ridiculous amount of buttons to fumble open. Castiel, apparently unwilling to just sit back and wait, began pulling at his dress slacks and clumsily unfastened them.

Dean wasn't sure he'd ever been as happy to be rid of his clothes as he was in that moment. Wanting, no needing to feel Cas' skin against his own. Once divested of his final layer, Dean leaned in and reclaimed the chapped pink lips. It was a slow, passionate kiss, neither wanting to break free until the last possible second.

Pulling apart left both of them panting and groaning at the delicious friction of their bodies moving together. Castiel instantly moved his kisses down the side of Dean's neck and onto his shoulder, sucking tightly against the skin after a well placed bite. He knew that his fiancé tried to make sure his marks weren't visible to the public, but he wouldn't stop making them. Dean wasn't complaining though, he loved the way Cas claimed him and would have proudly shown them to the world had Castiel wanted him to.

"Nnng, Cas." was about the only audible noise spilling from his mouth. He held tightly onto the short brown spikes of Castiel's head, moaning louder with each strong suck against his skin. Dean felt a tremble squirm its way through him, his fingertips shaking until he reached down and felt the heavy weight of Cas' cock in his hand.

"Ahhh, Dean." Castiel gasped when he pulled off of Dean's shoulder, clearly caught off guard. He couldn't help the smile that grew wide on his lips as he gave a Cas a look that feigned innocence. He closed his fist around the leaking tip and listened for the tortured moan that would follow. He wasn't disappointed when Castiel growled out deeply and bucked his hips into the tight grasp of Dean's hand.

"Mmm, look so good for me like this sweetheart." Dean's voice felt heavier and sounded a little more rough than he'd expected. He reached over to the nightstand and pulled the drawer open, quickly yanking out the small bottle of lube. He grinned widely at the sight of his naked fiancé' spread out on the bed waiting for him.

Dean reached behind Cas' thick muscled thighs, and pushed them forward. He settled himself in the empty space between them and slicked his fingers up with the velvety liquid. He slipped one past the tight opening of Castiel's ass, feeling a slight squeeze. Dean used his free hand to distract Cas with fast paced strokes, and a tight grip on his cock. It worked, almost immediately he saw the small amount of tension seep away.

He watched as a light sheen of sweat worked it's way to the surface of Castiel's tanned skin as he writhed against the pleasure of Dean's hand's on him. There was little in the world that he found more beautiful than the sight of Cas coming undone for him, which was saying something because he'd seen some of the most beautiful places, things, and people ever created.

"Dean, Please." Castiel's voice came out rough to the point it almost sounded broken.

Knowing exactly what he'd meant, Dean slipped his fingers out and readjusted their bodies. Putting himself at a better angle before sliding his aching cock against the slippery rim before dipping the tip past the tight circle. He still had to close his eyes sometimes to not lose control at the immense pressure that was the first push of their bodies together.

He tried to take his time but Cas was urging him further with every method available to him. Unable to hold back much longer, Dean was completely encased inside the tight heat much quicker than he'd planned. He swore under his breath, trying to focus more on his surroundings than the way pleasure was running through him like an electric current spiking out at all his pressure points.

Dean finally calmed himself down enough to properly move, pulling out slowly only to rock his hips and plunge back inside. His thrusts became more rapid and soon they found a rhythm, moving together passionately until the world seemed to slip away. Heated pants and choked moans filled the air, layering on top the smell of sweat and sex.

When they were both at the pinnacle of ecstasy, Dean shifted his position allowing himself the view of Castiel's pleasured face, before he canting his hips forward. He leaned in for a heated kiss, moaning into his lover's mouth before quickly building back up to their previous rhythm. He could feel the tremors beneath their skin, unsure of where it started. A moment later they were both spilling over the edge, screaming out for one another as if their names would be the last words spoken.

~!~

Once he was able to move again, Dean rushed to the bathroom. He ran a soft washcloth under the warm water and squeezed it almost dry. He cleaned them both up as fast as he could before climbing back into bed and cuddling up with Cas. He pressed a kiss to the side of his Castiel's neck and smiled at the dark silver band that was being admired by both of them.

"It really is beautiful, Dean." He could feel Castiel's smile grow even wider as he dropped one arm around his slender waist and pulled him closer.

"Just wait till you see mine," Dean replied, huffing a small laugh against Cas' shoulder blade. He'd picked them both out, and would have gotten identical rings but wanted to surprise Castiel and he knew exactly how to do it.

"What did you do?" He asked, eyeing him suspiciously. His brows were drawn tightly together when he turned over. Dean couldn't hold back the laugh that escaped when he saw the skeptical look Cas was giving him. Apparently, Castiel couldn't hold it too long, because he quickly cracked his own smile and playfully pushed against his naked chest.

"I'll give you a hint." Dean whispered against the shell of Cas' ear, drawing out a small giggle. He was moved away harshly as Castiel made room for his hand to slip between them, trying to rectify the tickling gesture as quickly as possible.

'Could do that away from my ear please?" he asked politely, his voice still full of laughter. Castiel moved and resituated himself until his head lay against Dean's chest. He'd confessed before that he found the heartbeat comforting.

"Sure, okay here it is.. you ready?" Dean teased. He was nearly kicked out of bed for his actions.

"Dean, just tell me!" Castiel was often impatient, which only made Dean love him more.

"I'm Batman!" Dean laughed loudly, because it actually was a clue but he knew Cas would never take him seriously about it.

"So help me, Dean Winchester if you've engraved "The Dark Knight Rises" on our wedding band because you think you're funny when you are most certainly not. I will tell everyone you know that you're not allowed to have cheeseburgers or pie for a YEAR due to high cholesterol"

"You wouldn't." Dean gasped in shock. Mocking offense, he tightened his face into a self-righteous stare.

"Oh I would." Castiel answered with a smirk playing wide on his lips.

"Well, you think you know a guy.. then you ask him to marry you and suddenly he thinks he rules the entire world." Dean teased, curling even tighter around Cas.

"Not the entire world, just yours." Castiel laughed loudly at his own joke, making Dean chuckle as well. Cas' happiness had always sort of been contagious to him. Even after a hellacious day of work, and people generally being idiots. He'd come home to his boyfriend's smile and everything seemed to be okay again. It was one of the many things that let him know that for the first time in his life, he'd found someone he saw a future with. Someone he truly loved.


	9. Holy Joker Batman!

They spent the first few days celebrating their engagement alone. Most of which was spent in bed, only stopping for the occasional showers and food breaks. Funnily enough, Dean found himself enjoying the talking most of all. He guessed it was one of the many benefits of being best friends before becoming lovers. He'd always known that they really enjoyed spending time together, even with all their clothes on, but the fact that it could still be so...fresh nearly two years into their relationship was a bit of a shock.

They decided not to announce their engagement right away. It wouldn't be the easiest thing to hide, but was worth the few months of privacy. Dean hated that Castiel would have to hide his ring so that nosey reporters wouldn't spoil their very special plans. Although, he smiled when his fiancé slipped it on each and every night. He loved the feel of the smooth metal when Cas ran his hands over his body, and it was a constant reminder that this gorgeous, amazing man wanted a forever with him.

After four days, they could no longer continue their life of seclusion. Dean had finally checked his phone. He was shocked when there weren't any text messages and only two voice mails, both of which were from Sammy.

"Hey Dean. Look I don't really want to know what's goin' on right now but, since I am an awesome brother I told everyone to leave you be for a few days. You can thank me later. Congrats man! I'm so happy that your cheesy plan worked, you big teddy bear. Give my love to Cas." Sam apparently thought he was funny if that snort he pulled at himself was anything to go by. Dean shook his head fondly at his brother's ridiculousness.

The second voicemail played next "Alright, Dean. It's been four days and you guys need to come up for air. I have been your unpaid secretary long enough. Time for you to become a functioning member of society once again. Clean up, straighten up your place, and make sure there's enough food to feed everyone by 6:30. We're on our way, Please for the love of God be dressed, because I do not want to see your pasty white ass."

Dean glanced over at the clock and it was already four. "Shit Cas. That was Sam. Everyone's comin' over tonight. Literally, like everyone."

"What time?" Cas asked. Dean could tell he was trying to comfort him but for fucks sake, a little more warning would have been nice. He scrubbed his face with his hands and blew out a deep breath. Hell, four days was longer than he thought they'd have so maybe he should just get his shit together and deal.

"They're gonna be here at 6:30 and Sam said to enough food for all of them, so I'm assuming that's pretty much the whole family and probably some of the guys from the show."

"Dean, another deep breath. Try not to panic, we have plenty of time. Do you want to go to the store or stay here and clean?" Castiel asked. He felt himself relax, just a little. He was good with decision making, as long as he kept his mind distracted he'd be fine.

"I'll go to the store, what do you need me to get?"

"Well, you've wanted to try that new lasagne recipe. Go grab it off of the refrigerator and make sure you get enough ingredients to make two, I'd hate to waste that fancy double oven. Oh and don't forget to pick up some wine and beer. We have enough to get the evening started, but knowing them, it won't last long." Cas chuckles, and Dean feels every bit of tension flee from his body. Before he knows it, he's laughing along.

Feeling much better, Dean grabbed his keys, checked for his wallet, and kissed Cas before heading out the door. He was really happy that they'd already showered and put actual clothes on for the day.

The store was easy enough to manage, picking out everything that was on the list, and a few extras. By the time Dean got back to the apartment, Cas had dusted and vacuumed. He even had everything they needed to make the double batch of lasagne ready to go. Yeah, Dean was lucky to have such an amazing man in his life, and he knew it, even if that made him a sentimental idiot.

They worked around one another fluidly getting dinner ready. Dean did most of the knife work for the vegetables as Cas started layered. The surprise on Castiel's face was well worth the forethought that went into picking up some green stuff for Sammy.

He had just placed the salad on the buffet table when Sam let himself in ten minutes early. "Hey, man. Wow, something sure smells good."

"Of course it smells awesome, we've been making this lasagne for over an hour." Dean called out as he walked in from the kitchen carrying an overflowing casserole dish.

"Don't get your panties in a twist. We even made a veggie version and a salad, ya friggin' giant rabbit." It looked like that was going to get him a giant bear hug. When Dean saw his brother come at him arms opened wide, he smiled and braced for impact. However he was wrong, Sam walked right past him and hugged a very stunned Cas.

"This is a hug, Cas. You're supposed to do it back" he said with a laugh.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I was just a little surprised." Dean watched as Castiel moved his arms to wrap around his brother's huge frame, his smile widening all the way to his eyes.

"I am not sure what I did to warrant one of your infamous hugs though." He admitted, and Dean couldn't help the small laugh that escaped. The guy was really clueless sometimes, but that's one of the many things he loved about Cas.

"You took my neanderthal brother and turned him into a real human boy." Sam chided, with a quick smirk issued toward Dean.

Dean couldn't help but laugh even louder at that. Of course he still punched Sam in the arm, but he was laughing when he did it, so it doesn't really count right?

Soon enough people were piling in every which way, and thankfully before the food got too cold they took their seats. Some sitting at the table, but most needed to take a seat on the couch, love seat, or any other available surface. There were ten of them including himself and Cas in that number. Bobby, Ellen, and Jo strolled in and tried to suffocate him with a group hug. Garth, Benny, and Meg walked over from his side of the duplex and Dean kinda wondered what they'd been doin before all the chaos started. He shook his head and told himself he really didn't want to know with those three.

It was almost time to eat when he heard the doorbell ring again, well actually for the first time because everyone else just barged in. He looked around, racking his brain for anyone that was missing on his way to respond, but he couldn't. He opened the door to a gorgeous brunette with a bright white smile.

"You must be, Dean. Hi. I'm Sarah, Sam didn't tell me when he'd be here. I hope I'm not early?" she said with far too hopeful look.

"Oh, so you must be the girl… yeah, come on in. We were just getting ready to eat." He ushers her inside and began to close the door when it stopped a few inches from the jam.

He saw the toe of a sleek black dress shoe sticking through it and raised his eyebrows before politely reopening it.

"Fuck," was the only word that left his mouth when he saw the part midget, part demon standing in the door.

"Hey there, muffin. Are you gonna let me in or are we just going to stand here all day?" He had an awfully large smirk for such a very small man.

"Gabriel, who even invited you?" Dean asked, narrowing his eyes completely determined to find out who was plotting against him in his own damn house.

"Aww, don't be like that babyface. You know you I can't resist a good time." He added a small wink that sent a sharp chill down Dean's spine. He knew the little freak was just messin' with him but it got out of hand quick if he didn't keep up with him.

"I will find you, and I will kill you." Dean yelled as he just turned around and walked back toward the others, leaving the door slightly ajar. He knew Gabriel would take that as an outright invitation, and sure enough the little hobbit was strolling in right after him.

Toward the end of their meal, Gabriel stood up and clicked his knife against his beer bottle and smirked. Everyone managed to get quiet despite the fact that Dean considered offering him a high chair just to be a smart ass. He honestly had no idea how the guy commanded such respect and space like everywhere he stepped was his stage. It was disconcerting and Dean was extremely jealous.

He cleared his throat before he began speaking. "Okay so you guys know that I wasn't exaaaaactly invited but the thing is that I come bearing good news. Well...other good news. I was poking around the studio today, well… Trisha the new makeup lady and I were poking around the studio If you know what I mean…" He winked and made some lewd gestures and the room let out a collective sigh.

"Okay fine, spoilsports. Anywhooo, There was an envelope delivered for a Mr. Dean Winchester and I graciously offered my free time to bring it over here." A genuine smile lit up Gabriel's face for the first time in a long time that Dean could remember. Gabe pulled out a cream colored envelope from his jacket and passed it across the table to him .

"Congratulations, Dean." Was the last thing he said before he reclaimed his seat with a fond look, maybe the imp wasn't soooo bad. He tells himself, for what has to be the millionth time in their short friendship, if that's what you could call it.

Dean opened the envelope warily, after all.. it was Gabriel. The embossed letters looked official so he read it aloud. "The Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award in Television Media Recipient is " Dean stuttered toward the end and stopped, his mouth gaping open. He felt his heart clench inside his chest as he saw his name in bold, black, swooping font. He felt Cas' hand on his arm but was still unable to speak.

"Dean, are you okay?" He heard Cas' deep voice but his head was swimming and it sounded a lot further away that it was just a moment ago.

"It's me." he said, shock still seeping through him like a pulsing vibration under his skin. Everyone clapped and cheered and he only heard about half of it due to his own heart booming inside his ear drums. It wasn't until Castiel stood up and pulled him in for a hungry kiss that he felt himself breathing easy again.

The rest of the evening went perfectly. Once, everything calmed down Dean and Castiel shared the plans of their wedding and swore each and every single one of them to secrecy. Threatening Gabriel with bodily harm if he so much as looked at someone funny, the last thing he needed was one of his "tricks" to out Cas's plans.

The following week, was the ceremony. Cas had insisted on dressing him, and thankfully they both looked damn good. Castiel almost always wore a fan inspired shirt when he knew there were going to be cameras, insisting that it was his duty as a fanboy.

Dean was terrified that he was going to mess up and call Cas his fiance instead of boyfriend, having written the speech out and knowing that he was going to reference him at least a couple times. He felt tingles shooting up and down his body, spikes of anxiety peaking around his pulse points as he took the stage.

"Wow... Okay… I'm not used to speaking in front of this many people at once, especially having to write my own speech." He smiled nervously, and rubbed at the back of his neck.

"I'm not gonna lie, I totally tried to get my boyfriend Castiel to write this thing for me, but he wouldn' that I'm standing here, I have to I'm grateful. It wouldn't have been the same, might have been a lot more intelligent, but not the same. " He chuckled at himself and the crowd seemed to follow.

"Also, since you voted for me I think you deserve my own thoughts, my own words. So this is for you, and all the others like you, Cas." He takes a sip of the water at the podium, hoping to drown out some of the flashing sounds and background buzz of the microphone.

"I'm not sure if you know this story. If you do please forgive me, but I feel like it needs to said again. When I came out as bisexual as a teenager, I was lucky in a lot of ways that others aren't. My friends and family all supported me, were constantly defending me and standing up for my rights. It's probably one of the biggest reasons I'm standing here today." He offered, trying to hold himself higher and straighter, chasing some sort of invisible level of comfort on the too big stage.

"That's not to say I had it too easy. I mean what kid does? I had people commenting on the gender of my significant others for years. If I dated a girl, I was assumed to be turned straight, sometimes turned "normal." If I dated a guy, it was received that I finally just came out as gay. It was frustrating, but I have always been too egotistical to let anyone else dictate my love life." That got a laugh out of the crowd that helped Dean release more tension.

"I never planned to be an actor, I kind of fell into it. What I mean by that is, I was only in one school play and that was only because I had a huge crush on the lead." he lets a fond smile grace his lips when he thinks back to that time, and what a giant dork he was.

"Batman 2.0 was not only my first acting job, it was my first audition. My then best friend and neighbor, Garth begged me to go with him. He said it would ease his nerves as he auditioned for the role of Robin The rest is, as they say, history. When I was offered the part, I told them that I was a proud bisexual and had no plans on living a lie. Thankfully, they didn't care. If they had, I never would have taken the part and probably wouldn't be standing here today. Not to mention I'd never have been able to meet the love of my life, and for that I'll never be able to repay them." He said, glancing over at Cas quickly trying not to let all the emotion overtake him.

"So, to bring this ramble to a close, I just want to thank Garth and the folks at Batman 2.0 for making it possible for me to do this job that I fell in love with. I want to thank everyone who voted for me and HRC for finding me worthy of an award, even if it's just for being me. Mostly, I want to thank you Cas." At that point he turned completely to face the side of the stage where Cas is standing just out of sight of the audience.

"Thank you for putting up with me, loving me, and giving me the chance to return it with everything I have. The day I met you was the day that my life truly began. I love you so much, sweetheart."

Turning back to the audience, he said the last line of his prepared speech into the microphone. "Thank you again, and remember if someone can't except you for who you are, they don't deserve you."

He started to walk towards Cas, but was tackled half way across the stage. Not caring who saw, Cas pulled him into a huge hug. His smile wide with glee as he leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. When they finally pulled away, the noise of the standing ovation surrounded them. This would turn out to be one of Dean's top five favorite days ever.


	10. Holy Epilogue Batman!

It felt like they'd waited forever some days, but others like it had flown by. Time had passed both so quickly and so slowly that life just kind of took over, wedding plans were only discussed once in a while when they managed to work around their crazy schedules. Dean had his long hours on set and then the tour circuit started. Cas had planned to go to a couple with him but he'd been offered a small promotion that required much more of his time but allowed him more freedom to do more of what he was passionate about, so he jumped at the chance.

Dean didn't blame him, though it was easy to see that they were both miserable with all the time they spent apart. They talked a lot and made really good use of the time that he got to spend at home before taking off to on another weekend away. Skype also came in handy, he smiled any time he thought about their conversations, and a warm blush flooded his cheeks.

Soon enough, it became weekend they'd been waiting for. It was the final convention and the only one Castiel would actually be able to make. Since the awards ceremony, the fans had been begging for him to join Dean on stage. Of course, Cas thought it was ridiculous because he wasn't even on the show, but Dean loved that they wanted him involved. It was a credit to his amazing fanbase that they'd actually accepted him as a person, and not just the face of their hero. He'd seen a lot of good people receive bad vibes from their own fans based solely on the fact that they were no longer single and therefore didn't appear "available."

That being said, there were a few reasons to indulge the fans during that particular weekend and Dean was a massive contradiction of emotions as it began. There was fear, anxiety, and quite a bit of shock. Luckily it was wrapped up in a warm blanket of love, happiness, with a touch of is this really my life? So he wasn't really going to complain.

Dean's appearance was on Sunday, just like previous conventions and his day started with the VIP lunch. That particular panel was with Garth and it was just as much fun as always. The only difference being almost half of the questions that were asked, were about his relationship with Cas. The last person they could get to was a very young, and seemingly shy boy. Dean guessed there was no way the kid could be over 18. He tried not to laugh but the way he fumbled his way around through the unheard question was adorable. The poor guy had to repeat himself three times before anyone could hear him, even with the microphone pushed against his lips.

"Hi, my name is Samandriel and I first wanted to say thank you. It was your appearance at the HRC awards that gave me the courage to tell my parents that I am gay. My question is really more of a request. Would it be possible for Castiel to come out here so we can get a picture of you two together?"

Dean was so moved that he'd made that kind of impact on anyone, that his smile grew from cheesy fake to a genuine wide grin. He knew that Cas would understand. When he looked at that adorable innocent face, how could he refuse.

"Let me go ask him," he said, quickly leaving the stage, only to return a few seconds later pulling a very pink fiance behind him. Cas might have been bold in some areas of their life but being in front of a crowd wasn't really his forte. He wasn't uncomfortable but he was easily embarrassed, so Dean kept his arm tight around his waist as a comforting anchor.

When they took the middle of the stage, Castiel buried his head in his collar. Dean turned his head so that he could whisper in Cas' ear."Come on sweetheart, they just want to meet you.

It must have worked, because Cas took the microphone and smiled over at him practically oozing courage and confidence. A fond chuckle passed Dean's lips and he shook his head in disbelief and pride.

"Hi, I'm Castiel Novak. It's very nice to meet you all." He barely got the words out before the crowd started demanding a kiss between the two love birds.

"Kiss...Kiss...Kiss…"

Dean teasingly glares at the audience, tutting them with his finger. "Come on! Nobody wants to see that."

"Kiss... Kiss...Kiss…"

Dean turned around to where Garth had been standing, only to find a blank space. Of course the guy up and disappears when he needs him for something, he only half grumbled to himself.

"Kiss...Kiss...Kiss…"

He looked at Cas, and gave him a wink before leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. It was quick, but sweet. He then turned back to the crowd. "That's all you get, ya filthy animals. I gotta go get ready to sign some stuff, now behave yourselves." Cas grabbed his hand and they walked backstage. That was where Dean gave him the kiss the fans had really been asking for.

"Now that, that's just for us." he added with a laugh and his fiance just shook his head and joined in.

When they walked into the signing room for autographs, Cas looked confused and tugged on Dean's arm. "Why is there an extra chair? I caught a peek at Garth's schedule and he's not going to do autographs until later."

"That's right, but… I want you sitting next me," he answered, giving the same puppy dog eyes he'd learned from Sammy.

"Dean," Cas started but was quickly interrupted.

"Please, they love you and I love you. Let us all love you together. If it really makes you uncomfortable you don't have to do it, sweetheart. I just.. I think it would be fun for you, and me, and I know they're gonna be over the damn moon about it." He pleaded with his eyes, knowing that Castiel wouldn't really say no. It wasn't that he minded the spotlight, just felt it was undeserved which was downright ridiculous if you asked Dean. He deserved every ounce of care, concern, and excitement that the fans gave him.

"That actually sounds pretty dirty now that I think about it," Dean smiled and wiggled his brows suggestively, laughing at himself. He started walking, pulling Cas along behind him. Not having to look at him to know that not only did he get the biggest eye roll ever, but also that Cas was going to comply.

About thirty minutes into the two hour session, Dean felt Cas' breath on his neck. It was almost enough to suck him out of the room entirely, and away from the crowd. He stilled as he felt Castiel's lips moving and the soft whispers against his ear.

"Thanks for making me do this." Cas quickly kissed his neck, apparently he wasn't the only one that found it hard to remember they had an audience.

Dean's handler, Dana cleared her throat. It seemed that she knew exactly what kind of reaction that was going to cause. "I am super happy that that's totally a thing that happened, but we really need to get moving. We don't want anyone to miss Balthazar's panel.

Dean blushed a bit, so glad that pictures were not allowed to be taken in the autograph room. He went back to work, but still made sure to take the time to ask names so that he could personalize each one. When the last fan was put in front of them, he looked up to a familiar face. When she held out a paper to them, a quick spark of memory flashed in his mind as he placed her. It was a lovely woman named Cris, he'd seen her at a few of the other conventions. He looked down to see a gorgeous rendering she'd made of him and Cas. It was breathtakingly beautiful and he made sure to tell her so, or at least in his words.

"Wow, Cris. This is awesome. I'm a little tempted to keep it. That is, if you wouldn't mind parting with it." He let out a small laugh as he looked up and saw her shocked expression.

"Oh my God, that would make my day, but I don't actually have anything else to for you to sign." She said, only looking a little disappointed.

Castiel spoke up, holding a finger up to them both. "Give me just a second and let me go grab my bag. I have something you might like."

That left Dean confused too, unsure of why Cas was just walking around with stuff he could give away in his bag, but he trusted his fiance'. He couldn't help that his eyes followed Cas as he ran out of the room, it was certainly a beautiful sight. Another cleared throat and his attention was being brought back to Cris. They talked about the show and how much it had meant to both of them, almost as if they were both just two batman fans face to face.

When he returned a minute later, Dana was already looking at her watch. It was clear that she was about to say something, probably that they needed to get their asses out of there, but she would have been much more polite about it.

Cas rushed over to them holding what looked like a small picture. When Dean plucked it from his hands, he saw that it was actually a wedding invitation. "Are you sure about this, Cas?"

"Yes, Dean. If she is willing to give us this beautiful piece of artwork. Something that she took the time to draw, and poured herself into. Well, I think it is the least we can do." He turned towards the silent fan in front of them. "Before he signs this, I need for you to promise me that you won't say a word to anyone. Not even to call your mother, who probably has never even seen the show anyway, but still… NO ONE, okay?"

"Oh my God, YES! Yes! I promise. Whatever it is, I will take it to my grave." She seemed super excited, but Dean trusted that she wouldn't run her mouth the second she was out the door.

Dean laughed. "You don't have to keep it secret that long, just until tonight."

With that, he signed the invitation. 'Thanks Cris for being awesome. Love, Dean Winchester aka Batman" He handed to her, and despite the "why is this my life" look on Dana's face he gave her time to read it.

"Y-You mean...I get...I get to attend your wedding?" She looked floored, but thankfully not like she was going to pass out so, that was reassuring. The last thing he needed was a fangirl fainting on them when they were already a little behind schedule.

"Absolutely" he replied as he reached over to hug the now crying girl, wanting to soothe her. It probably wasn't really helping. In fact, it might have just done the opposite but he had to try.

"You want Castiel to sign it too?" He asked, and of course she did. So Cas signed it willingly and hugged her goodbye.

Dana herded them both through the crowd with a fond look on her face, it seemed she knew better than to expect them to be on time with every single thing.

All that was left before the break were the photo ops, which went quickly enough. Afterward they had a few hours free before Dean's evening panel. Once they got settled in the hotel, they ordered some food from room service, showered, and took a nap. They woke up tangled in one another's arms and Dean groaned when he felt the hard press of Castiel's ass cheeks against him. He rolled his hips which led to a lot more fun than he expected, and soon enough they needed to shower all over again.

Eventually they stumbled out of the warm spray, quite possibly with some marks they didn't have when they stepped inside, but no one would be the wiser. They would all be easily hidden underneath their clothes.

Dean dressed in a black suit with a light green tie, that Cas said made his eyes sparkle just a little more. He shook his head fondly as he reached over to fix the corners of his fiance's light blue tie. It was amazing how well he could dress Dean, but you ask him to do his own damn Windsor knot and the guy was clueless. Castiel wore a similar suit to Dean's with only a couple changes, the lines were different and it wasn't tailored as tightly as his own.

When they finally managed to put the finishing touches on their outfits, they still had about thirty minutes before the panel. With nothing else really going on, they took their time walking to the back of the stage area. Their hands slotting into one another as they made their way through the empty halls. Normally the place would be buzzing with fanboys and fangirls but they were all so tied up with the events going on that it was practically deserted.

Dean heard Gabriel's voice booming from the speakers. He was the emcee for the weekend, probably because he couldn't keep his mouth shut anyway, so why not let him entertain the crowd. Dean kind of hated whoever decided it was a good idea to give him a microphone. Although he was grateful not to have to listen to him do the "Joker" voice. That was like nails down a chalkboard to his precious ear drums without the added echo of sound equipment, he'd hate to think of what it would do to his brain with the current setup.

"Alright you heathens. I'm sure you guys are wondering why Garth and Dean did separate panels this year, aren't ya?" There is a loud yes as the audience answered together.

"Well, I'm not gonna tell ya, but I will give you what you've been waiting for, Let's bring out Dean-o and he can explain." Gabriel gave Dean a teasing smirk, that made a shiver spike down his back and caused him to roll his eyes. Thankfully he was already smiling so it looked like a joke, well it was a joke, mostly.

Dean gave Cas' hand a quick squeeze before going on stage. The crowd went wild. Dean had never worn a suit to a panel before, usually opting for just jeans and an old tee, or occasionally even layering a blazer over it if he had an interview before or after the panel.

"Okay, okay. Simmer down. As Gabe here started to say, there is a very good reason for our panels to be separate this year. Don't worry it's not because we are fighting, or some weird popularity contest," he teased.

"First, I want to tell you guys why this particular convention is so special to me. You see, my first con here in Burbank is where I met Castiel. For me, it was love at first sight. For him, not quite so soon. He was actually in a relationship at the time, so I had to settle for being just friends. I was a little disappointed at the time but I wouldn't change a thing about it now. Now, I've always been a pretty stubborn guy, so I made it my mission to become his best friend and in the process he became my mine as well." A loud aww echoed through the room and he couldn't help the smile that peaked on his face.

"Anyway, after his relationship ended things progressed, I tried to give him space because the last thing I wanted for either of us was some sort of rebound thing. Thankfully, he eventually decided to take pity on me and we started dating." That earned him a small laugh, right along with his own.

"Most of that you could probably have guessed but what you don't know, is that several months ago I proposed. I was really lucky and he was just crazy enough to say yes."

He had to stop for a few minutes, no one able to hear him over the roar of the crowd. While the audience got themselves under control, he waved Cas onto the stage. That probably prolonged the applause but he had a plan and it was nice having Castiel by his side.

Once it quieted enough for him to be heard properly he tried speaking again. "Because this convention is so important to us and because you guys are so important to us...we were wondering how you'd feel about attending a wedding ceremony tonight?" The crowd erupted again, people rushing to their feet and the sound boomed louder than ever.

"Are you sure? I mean, I know you guys were really looking forward to the panel, "he teased. As expected they howled out again, the excitement was pouring through his veins right along with them, so he could understand.

"To sweeten the deal, after the ceremony, you can make your way to the main ballroom where there is a reception set up. Sorry, there's no alcohol. I know some of you are underage. Cas and I will join you for a little bit. But, we do have a plane to catch in a few hours, so we can't stay long."

That brought everyone to their feet once more, cheering and screaming out I love you's, and Oh my God's, including a very loud one from their handler. Dean was shocked enough that he actually turned around and smiled at her. The fans settled back into their seats when they watched people crossing the stage to join the couple.

The stage was fairly large but Dean didn't really want everyone involved, so it was just a handful of family members up there with them. Castiel's mother and his friend and adopted sister Charlie took their places at his side as Sammy and his dad came to his. Mary opted to sit off to the side with Sarah, claiming she didn't want the sides to be uneven, but Dean was pretty sure that she just wanted to hide her tears from everyone

The ceremony didn't take long, before he knew it what happened it was almost his turn to speak. His written vows tucked snugly in his breast pocket, he memorized it easily enough but with his nerves picking up he thought it would be best if he had a backup plan, so he didn't look like a complete moron on their wedding day.

"Cas, I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you that you were special. You were breathtakingly handsome, of course but it was more than that. There was something about you that drew me in like a magnet, and I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I was to find out that you belonged to someone else. I'm glad that it didn't stop me from inviting you into my life, into my heart, because I can't imagine loving anyone else this much, or being loved by anyone else this way. You are my best friend and today I stand right here, where it all began, in front of all these people; our families, our friends, of course the most awesome fans in the world to tell you that I would walk through heaven, hell, and everywhere in between to keep you happy. That for the rest of my life I want nothing more than to be your husband, to love you with all of me, to wake up to you every morning and come home to you every night. I gladly pledge myself to you for eternity and then some if you'll have me.

Cas shook his head immediately, his eyes becoming more glossy by the second. Dean left a gentle squeeze on Cas' hand as they clasped them back together once his ring was situated beautifully on his long, nimble finger. He took a deep breath and encouraged the same from Castiel, which he quickly complied and pulled himself together just a little.

Dean, I love you so much, sometimes it feels like I always have. There are a couple things that I have wanted to tell you for the longest time, but decided now would be a perfect time to share them. First, you had said that when we met it was love at first sight for you. And you didn't believe it was for me, that is not entirely true. I fell for you immediately, I just felt guilty about it because I was in a relationship at the time, so I kept my feelings quiet. Secondly, I skipped over a few of the details when I told you how I came out to my mother. I mean, I was honest, but not completely forthcoming. I don't remember it as clearly as I'd like, but she's reminded me countless times and this is how she's always told the story. When I was about four, she asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up. I looked at her like that was the silliest question in the world and I said 'when I grow up, I'm gonna marry Batman. Thank you, Dean for making my childhood dream come true. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life proving that you made the right choice."

Dean felt the tear hanging on for dear life, and he knew it wasn't going to last. He shook his head fondly, and let it stream down his cheek. Happily oblivious to what anyone else thought about his manliness. Cas wanted to be his forever, and that was definitely worth a tear or two. He smiled when he watched Charlie's hand flick out to Cas, with the ring prominently displayed against her palm.

Castiel's head tilted to the side until he got a good look at it and then he broke into laughter. Since they'd put a mic clip on him, the whole place heard a loud "Oh my God, Dean… Really?"

Cas was still laughing, and Dean had joined in which made his hand shake while his soon-to-be-husband was trying to slip the ring onto his finger. It was difficult to say the least, but eventually they worked it out and the dark grey band with the bright silver bat signal on it was nestled against the knuckle of his left ring finger.

The pastor pronounced them husbands and when they kissed the first time as a married couple the room was full of loud cries, tears, and cheers for their happiness. Dean might have held the kiss a little longer than publicly appropriate but by god, it was his wedding day and he was going to show his husband exactly how much he loved him, even if it was by kissing him senseless in front of everyone within a five mile radius.

When he finally broke it, he leaned back in just long enough to whisper an I love you, and turn sideways to face the crowd.

"Thank you guys for being here with us to celebrate what's going to be one of the best and certainly most important days in our lives, we were so blessed and happy to share this with you all. I know it was last minute, so we're glad you could make it," he teased, and the crowd pulled a collective eye roll and a lot of laughs.

"Seriously though, this is going to be memorable for so many reasons, but the fact that you were here today means the world to both of us. So please join us in the ballroom and we can celebrate for a little while before we sneak out and begin the rest of our lives. We'll see you guys in there." Dean smiled and waved and slipped off the stage behind everyone else.

The reception was exciting, loud, and full of so much love it was actually a little stifling. About forty minutes into it, Dean checked his watch and began ushering Cas toward the door slowly inching their way through the crowd. Just as he'd expected about twenty minutes later they breached the door. He pulled Cas behind him, nearly running toward the Impala parked just around the side of the hotel.

Thankfully, she was still in mint condition and his brother had taken the threats seriously, he would have no one messin with baby. They could cover Cas' friggin' Prius with all that "just married" bullshit. When they'd first discussed it, Dean had read horror stories about some shaving creams containing chemicals that made the paint chip, and aluminum cans rattling around until they'd left knicks on the bumper. He cringed just thinking about it.

Once inside the safety, warmth, and familiarity of his baby Dean latched onto Cas' lips once more, feeling like it had been far too long between their husbandly kisses. A mumble moved under his lips and a small laugh escaped Castiel's mouth. "I love you too, Dean."

"Good, you ready?" He asked, smiling over at his husband. Yeah, even in his head that sounded amazing. Castiel smiled and shook his head affirmatively.

"To the batcave." They were pushed back hard against the soft cushions of the head rests when Dean peeled from the parking lot. Both laughing and smiling as he navigated them through the busy streets of Burbank.


End file.
